Cartridge for water purifier and water purifier

Abstract

To provide a water purifier cartridge and a water purifier capable of being easily received by posting in a mailbox or the like even when purchased by mail order, while suppressing deterioration in filtration capacity.SOLUTION: A columnar cartridge for a water purifier in which a filter material is contained in a case. In a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the case, when a region enclosed along the outer edge of the case without any indentation is defined as a region A, and the length of the region A passing through the center of gravity of the cross-section of the case is defined as a width W, the cross-sectional shape of the case has a shape having different width W, and the shortest width WS of the different width W is 28 mm or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water purifier cartridge and a water purifier. [Background technology]

[0002] A water purifier or the like built into a water faucet is fitted with a water purifier cartridge that has the function of filtering and purifying water, and the water purifier cartridge must be replaced after a certain period of use. For example, cylindrical water purifier cartridges are widely used (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-157242 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When it is time to replace the cartridge for the water purifier, the user of the water purifier purchases a new cartridge at a store or through mail order, etc. When purchasing a cartridge through mail order, the user may avoid receiving the cartridge in person due to hygiene and security considerations, or may find it difficult to receive the cartridge in person due to absence of the recipient. However, conventional water purifier cartridges cannot be dropped off in a regular post box, and it can be difficult to receive the cartridge without meeting the delivery person.

[0005] In addition, the inventors have studied the problem that, in a cylindrical water purifier cartridge as in Patent Document 1, if the outer and inner diameters are reduced in order to allow it to be dropped in a post, the amount of filter material filled is reduced, resulting in a decrease in filtering ability. In addition, if only the outer diameter of the water purifier cartridge is reduced, the thickness of the case becomes thinner, making the groove for the O-ring shallower, which causes a problem that the O-ring becomes more likely to come off. If the O-ring comes off when the cartridge is installed in the water purifier, part of the water to be treated passes through the outside of the cartridge, leading to a decrease in filtering ability.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a water purifier cartridge and a water purifier that can be easily received by dropping it in a postbox or the like even when purchased through mail order, while suppressing a decrease in filtering ability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention includes the following configurations. [1] A columnar water purifier cartridge having a filter medium housed in a case, In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case, a region that surrounds the outer edge of the case so as not to have any recesses is defined as region A, and the length of region A in a direction passing through the center of gravity of the cross section of the case is defined as width W. The cross-sectional shape of the case has different widths W, and the shortest width W among the different widths W is S A water purifier cartridge having a diameter of 28 mm or less. [2] The water purifier cartridge described in [1], wherein the region A includes a portion having a width W exceeding 28 mm. [3] A water purifier cartridge as described in [1] or [2], in which an O-ring is provided on the outer periphery of the case. [4] The water purifier cartridge according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the filter medium is composed of a hollow fiber membrane and activated carbon. [5] The cartridge for a water purifier according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the case is made of resin. [6] A water purifier comprising the water purifier cartridge according to any one of [1] to [5]. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a water purifier cartridge and a water purifier that can be easily received by dropping it in a postbox, etc., even when purchased through mail order, while suppressing a decrease in filtering ability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a water purifier cartridge according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the case of the water purifier cartridge of FIG. 1 cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a region A in the cross section of the case in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a case of a water purifier cartridge according to another embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a case of a water purifier cartridge according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram showing a region A in the cross section of the case in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a case of a water purifier cartridge according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic diagram showing a region A in the cross section of the case in FIG. 7. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the water purifier cartridge and the water purifier according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions of the drawings illustrated in the following description are merely examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a water purifier cartridge 1 according to an example of the embodiment. The water purifier cartridge 1 is a columnar cartridge used in a water purifier and has a function of filtering and purifying water to be treated. For example, the water purifier cartridge 1 can be used as a replaceable cartridge to be attached to a water purifier built into a water faucet.

[0012] The water purifier cartridge 1 includes a case 10, a filter medium 12, and an O-ring 14. The case 10 is cylindrical, and the filter medium 12 is housed inside. A groove is formed in the outer periphery of one end of the case 10 in the length direction, over the entire periphery, and an O-ring 14 is provided in the groove.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the case of the water purifier cartridge 1 cut in a direction perpendicular to the length direction. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing region A in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the case 10. In the present invention, "area A" refers to a region that surrounds the outer edge of the case so as to have no recesses in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case. 1 and 2, the shape of outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction is a regular octagon, the shape of inner edge 10b is a circular cylinder, and there is no recess in the shape of outer edge 10a of case 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, region A in this example of case 10 is a regular octagonal region that follows outer edge 10a of case 10. For example, as shown in the example of Figure 4, when a recess 11 is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface in the cross section of case 10, in the portion of recess 11, straight lines are drawn tangent to the outer edges 10a on both sides of recess 11 so as to eliminate the recess, to form area A.

[0014] The length of the region A in the direction passing through the center of gravity G of the cross section of the case 10 is defined as width W. In the water purifier cartridge 1, the cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the length direction of the case 10 have different widths W. In the case of a cylindrical case whose cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length direction is a perfect circle, the widths W in the direction passing through the center of gravity G of region A are all the same. Therefore, "cross-sectional shapes of the case 10 having different widths W" means that the case 10 has a shape other than a cylindrical shape whose cross-sectional shape is a perfect circle.

[0015] 2 and 3, case 10 is cylindrical in shape with outer edge 10a in a cross section that is a regular octagon, and therefore center of gravity G of the cross section of case 10 coincides with the center of the cross section of case 10. In this case 10, for example, width W1, which is the length in a direction that passes through center of gravity G and is perpendicular to each of the parallel straight lines of area A, is different from width W2, which is the length in a direction that passes through center of gravity G and intersects each of the two corners of area A.

[0016] In the water purifier cartridge 1, the shortest width W S The width W of the water purifier cartridge 1 is 28 mm or less. S The portion where the thickness is 28 mm or less is always 28 mm or less in the longitudinal direction of the case 10. In the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3, the width W1, which is the length in a direction passing through the center of gravity G and perpendicular to the parallel straight lines of the region A, is the shortest width W S and is less than 28 mm.

[0017] Width W S If the width W is 28 mm or less, the cartridge 1 can be delivered to a regular post box even if it is purchased by mail order, so the user can easily receive the cartridge 1 for the water purifier without meeting the delivery person. In addition, since the cross-sectional shape of the case 10 has different widths W, the width W S Even if the diameter is 28 mm or less, the O-ring 14 is unlikely to come off, and a space for filling the filter medium 12 can be secured, so that a decrease in filtering ability can be suppressed.

[0018] In addition, the water purifier cartridge 1 can be used in existing water purifiers to which a conventional cylindrical water purifier cartridge is attached, and can achieve the effect of making it easy to receive the cartridge while suppressing a decrease in filtering ability. For example, when the cartridge is used in an existing water purifier to which a cylindrical water purifier cartridge with an outer diameter of 30 mm is attached, the cartridge width W S is 28mm or less and the longest width W L By using case 10 with an outer shape of a regular octagon and a width (W2) of 30 mm, it is possible to obtain the effect of making reception easy while suppressing a decrease in filtering ability. Cases with corners on the outer periphery, such as case 10 shown in FIG. 2, in which outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction has a regular octagonal shape, are more preferable because the O-ring gets caught on the corners and is less likely to come off.

[0019] Width W S The width W is 28 mm or less, and from the viewpoint of making it easier to receive the water purifier cartridge 1, it is preferable that the width W be 27 mm or less. S is preferably 24 mm or more, and more preferably 26 mm or more. S The preferable lower limit and upper limit can be arbitrarily combined, and for example, 24 to 28 mm is preferable.

[0020] Region A may include a portion whose width W exceeds 28 mm. S If the area A has a width W of 28 mm or less, even if the area A includes a portion having a width W exceeding 28 mm, the effect can be obtained that the water purifier cartridge 1 can be easily received by dropping it in a postbox, etc.

[0021] There are no particular limitations on the material of case 10, and any resin commonly used in this field may be used without any limitations. From the viewpoint of hygiene, case 10 may be made of a resin to which an antibacterial agent has been added.

[0022] The filter medium 12 may be any material that can filter the water to be treated that is introduced into the case 10 and discharge purified water, and may be, for example, a hollow fiber membrane. By using a hollow fiber membrane as the filter medium 12, it is possible to effectively remove bacteria and microorganisms that cannot be removed by adsorbents such as activated carbon and ion exchange resin, and to produce purified water that is safer to use for drinking water, etc.

[0023] When hollow fiber membranes are used, the filling form is not particularly limited and any known form can be adopted. For example, one end of a hollow fiber membrane bundle in which a plurality of hollow fiber membranes are bundled together is made a free end, and the other end is fixed to the inner surface of the case 10 with a potting material to make it a fixed end. The shape of the hollow fiber membranes to be packed is not particularly limited. For example, the hollow fiber membranes may be packed in a rolled or folded shape.

[0024] As the hollow fiber membrane, for example, a hollow fiber membrane made of a tubular porous body can be used. The material constituting the hollow fiber membrane is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include cellulose-based, polyolefin (polyethylene, polypropylene)-based, polyvinyl alcohol-based, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyether-based, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based, polysulfone-based, polyacrylonitrile-based, polytetrafluoroethylene-based, polycarbonate-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, aromatic polyamide-based, etc. Among these, considering the handleability and processing characteristics of the hollow fiber membrane, and further the incineration ability at the time of disposal, polyolefin-based hollow fiber membranes such as polyethylene are preferred.

[0025] The dimensions of the hollow fiber membrane, such as the outer diameter, are not particularly limited, and for example, a hollow fiber membrane having an outer diameter of 20 to 2000 μm, a pore size of 0.01 to 1 μm, a porosity of 20 to 90%, and a membrane thickness in the radial direction of 5 to 300 μm can be used. The packing density of the hollow fiber membranes in the case 10 is not particularly limited, and may be set within a range that ensures a sufficient water flow rate for the water purifier and provides sufficient filtering capacity. For example, the packing density relative to the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter medium housing of the case 10 in a cross section cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case 10 may be 30 to 60%.

[0026] In addition to the hollow fiber membrane, it is preferable that the filter medium 12 further includes an adsorption section made of activated carbon. That is, it is preferable that the filter medium 12 is composed of a hollow fiber membrane and activated carbon. By using activated carbon, it is possible to efficiently remove residual chlorine, mold odor, and organic compounds such as trihalomethanes from the water to be treated.

[0027] Examples of activated carbon include those obtained by carbonizing vegetable matter (wood, cellulose, sawdust, charcoal, coconut shell charcoal, ash, etc.), coal matter (peat, lignite, brown coal, bituminous coal, anthracite, tar, etc.), petroleum matter (petroleum residue, sulfuric acid sludge, oil carbon, etc.), pulp waste liquid, synthetic resin, etc., and activating them with gas (steam, carbon dioxide, air, etc.) or chemicals (calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, caustic soda, KOH, etc.) as necessary. Examples of fibrous activated carbon include those obtained by carbonizing and activating precursors made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), cellulose, phenol, and petroleum pitch. Activated carbon to which silver is attached or mixed is preferred in that it can inhibit the proliferation of bacteria and microorganisms.

[0028] Examples of activated carbon that can be used include powdered activated carbon, granular activated carbon obtained by granulating powdered activated carbon, fibrous activated carbon, and formed activated carbon obtained by solidifying powdered activated carbon or granular activated carbon with a binder. Among these, granular activated carbon is preferred in terms of its large contact area with the water to be treated, high adsorption and water permeability, ease of handling, cost, and the like.

[0029] As the filter medium 12, an adsorbent other than activated carbon may be used. Examples of other adsorbents include inorganic adsorbents such as natural adsorbents (natural zeolite, silver zeolite, acid clay, etc.) and synthetic adsorbents (synthetic zeolite, bacterial adsorption polymer, phosphate rock, molecular sieve, silica gel, silica alumina gel-based adsorbents, porous glass, etc.), and organic adsorbents such as molecular adsorption resins, ion exchange resins, ion exchange fibers, chelating resins, chelating fibers, highly absorbent resins, highly water-absorbent resins, oil-absorbent resins, and oil absorbents.

[0030] The water purifier cartridge of the present invention is not limited to the water purifier cartridge 1 described above. For example, the example case 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has an outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is a regular octagon and an inner edge 10b that is a circular cylinder, but is not limited to this shape.

[0031] For example, as shown in an example in Figure 5, case 10A may have an outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that has a shape of a circle with both sides cut out by parallel straight lines, and an inner edge 10b that has a circular cylindrical shape. Case 10A has no recess in the shape of outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction, and therefore area A has a shape of a circle along outer edge 10a of case 10A with both sides cut out by parallel straight lines, as shown in Fig. 6. In case 10A, for example, width W1, which is the length in the direction passing through center of gravity G and perpendicular to the parallel straight lines of area A, is different from width W2, which is the length in the direction passing through center of gravity G and intersecting two corners of area A.

[0032] In the case of the water purifier cartridge 1 having the case 10A instead of the case 10, the shortest width W among the different widths W is S By keeping the size at 28mm or less, it is possible to easily receive the mail by dropping it in the post while preventing a decrease in filtering capacity.

[0033] As an example shown in FIG. 7, the case 10B may be an elliptical cylindrical case in which the shape of the outer edge 10a and the shape of the inner edge 10b in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction are both elliptical. Case 10B has no recess in the shape of outer edge 10a in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 8, an elliptical region along outer edge 10a of case 10A is region A. In case 10B, for example, width W1 that passes through center of gravity G and coincides with the minor axis of elliptical region A is different from width W2 that passes through center of gravity G and coincides with the major axis of elliptical region A.

[0034] In the case of the water purifier cartridge 1 having the case 10B instead of the case 10, the shortest width W S By keeping the size at 28mm or less, it is possible to easily receive the mail by dropping it in the post while preventing a decrease in filtering capacity. Case 10 and case 10A are preferable to case 10B in that the corners on the outer periphery make it harder for the O-ring to come off, with case 10 being more preferable.

[0035] The water purifier according to the embodiment includes the water purifier cartridge according to the embodiment. The water purifier according to the embodiment may adopt a known configuration without particular limitation, except that the water purifier includes the water purifier cartridge according to the embodiment. For example, the water purifier cartridge according to the above-described embodiment can be attached to a water purifier built into a water faucet. EXAMPLES

[0036] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following description.

[0037] [Reference example 1] Outer diameter: 30 mm, inner diameter: 24 mm, cross-sectional area of ​​filter media storage area: 452 mm 2 A water purifier cartridge was produced, which had a cylindrical case and an O-ring attached to one end of the case in the longitudinal direction. The case was made of ABS.

[0038] [Example 1] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the outer shape of the case 10 in the cross section perpendicular to the length direction is a regular octagon and the inside is circular. S (W1 in Fig. 3) is 28 mm, and the longest width W L (W2 in Figure 3) is 30 mm, the inner diameter is 24 mm, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter media housing is 452 mm 2 A water purifier cartridge was produced, which had a case and an O-ring attached to one end of the case in the longitudinal direction. The case was made of ABS.

[0039] [Comparative Example 1] A water purifier cartridge was produced that had a cylindrical case of the same dimensions as in Reference Example 1, except that the outer diameter was changed to 28 mm, and an O-ring was attached to one end of the case in the longitudinal direction. ABS was used as the material for the case.

[0040] [Comparative Example 2] A water purifier cartridge was produced that had a cylindrical case with the same dimensions as in Reference Example 1, except that the outer diameter was changed to 28 mm and the inner diameter was changed to 22 mm, and an O-ring was attached to one end of the case in the longitudinal direction. ABS was used as the material for the case.

[0041] [Table 1]

[0042] The water purifier cartridge of Example 1 has a width W S Since the diameter is 28 mm, it can be dropped into a postbox, the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter media storage section is equivalent to that of the water purifier cartridge in Reference Example 1, the O-ring is not easily dislodged, and a decrease in filtering capacity is suppressed. On the other hand, in the water purifier cartridge of Comparative Example 1, the groove for installing the O-ring was shallow due to the thin thickness of the case, and the O-ring was easily removed. Also, in the water purifier cartridge of Comparative Example 2, the cross-sectional area of ​​the filter medium housing part was small, so the filtering ability was reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Water purifier cartridge 10 Cases 10a Outer edge 10b Inner border 12 Filter media 14 O-ring

Claims

1. A columnar water purifier cartridge having a filter medium housed in a case, In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case, a region that is surrounded along the outer edge of the case so as not to have any recesses is defined as region A, and the length of region A in a direction passing through the center of gravity of the cross section of the case is defined as width W. The cross-sectional shape of the case has different widths W, and the shortest width W among the different widths W is Ｓ A water purifier cartridge having a diameter of 28 mm or less.

2. The water purifier cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the region A includes a portion having a width W exceeding 28 mm.

3. The water purifier cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an O-ring provided on an outer periphery of the case.

4. 3. The cartridge for a water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the filter medium is composed of a hollow fiber membrane and activated carbon.

5. The cartridge for a water purifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the case is made of resin.

6. A water purifier comprising the water purifier cartridge according to claim 1 or 2.

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