Liquid treatment apparatus

Abstract

To supply safe liquid over a long period.SOLUTION: A liquid treatment apparatus includes a bottom tank 13, a water filter group 15, a top tank 16, a nanobubble generator 60, and a pipe for connecting them. The bottom tank 13 stores water W0 as a purification object. The water filter group 15 outputs water W purified by permeating the water W0 as the purification object therethrough. The top tank 16 stores the water W output from the water filter group 15. The pipe (pipeline) communicates from the bottom tank 13 to the water filter group 15, and from the water filter group 15 and the top tank 16, and flows the purification object therethrough. The nanobubble generator 60 is arranged in the pipe, generates nanobubbles, and purifies the purification object flowing through the pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid treatment apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a technique for generating drinking water using water obtained by cooling air or input raw water (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, although a high-performance filter is installed, liquids such as drinking water deteriorate over time (generation of strange odors and foreign substances), and at present, safe liquids cannot be supplied over a long period.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to enable supply of safe liquids over a long period.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, a liquid treatment apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a first storage means for storing a liquid to be purified; a permeation purification means for outputting the purified liquid by allowing the object to be purified to permeate; a second storage means for storing the liquid output from the permeation purification means; a pipeline that connects the first storage means to the permeation purification means and the permeation purification means to the second storage means, respectively, and through which the object to be purified flows; A bubble generator that is disposed in the pipeline, generates bubbles having a diameter of microbubbles or less, and purifies the object to be purified flowing through the pipeline; is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a safe liquid can be supplied over a long period of time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a liquid treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and the flow of treatment. In FIG. 1, except for those with symbols such as arrow Y and air A, the direction of the arrow indicates the direction in which water W and liquid L flow. In addition, in this specification, expressions indicating "up" such as "upper part" and "upward direction" shall refer to the direction away from the installation surface of the liquid treatment apparatus 1 (the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1). Also, expressions indicating "down" such as "lower part" and "directly below" shall refer to the direction approaching the installation surface of the liquid treatment apparatus 1.

[0010] (Basic Configuration) The liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can generate drinking water by cooling and condensing the air A taken in from the outside to generate water W, and subjecting the generated water W to a plurality of purification treatments. Also, the liquid treatment apparatus 1 can generate drinking water by subjecting the liquid L taken in from the outside to a plurality of purification treatments.

[0011] (Specific Configuration) The liquid treatment apparatus 1 includes an air filter 11, a water generation unit 12, a bottom tank 13, a plurality of pumps 14a to 14c, a water filter group 15, a top tank 16, a plurality of SOL valves 17a to 17c, a spout 18, sterilization units 19, 133, 163, a hot tank 20, a liquid input unit 31, a pressure switch 32, ozone generators 51 to 53, a nanobubble generator 60, and internal piping (flow paths) connecting them. The vertical arrangement positions of these air filter 11 to pressure switch 32 are as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, for example, the bottom tank 13 is arranged at the lowermost part, above which the water generation unit 12 and the hot tank 20 are arranged in that order, and further above that, that is, at the uppermost part, the top tank 16 is arranged.

[0012] The air filter 11 is a filter that filters the air A taken into the liquid treatment apparatus 1 from the outside. The air fan 122 is a blower having a plurality of blades, and takes in the air A outside the liquid treatment apparatus 1 from a plurality of openings provided in the housing. Foreign substances of a relatively large size such as dust and dirt contained in the air A are removed by filtering the air A by the air filter 11.

[0013] The water generation unit 12 generates water WJ from the air A filtered by the air filter 11. Here, although foreign matters have been removed from the raw water, dissolved fine particles and the like have not been removed. Here, the specific method by which the water generation unit 12 generates water WJ from the air A is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, a method is adopted in which the air A input into the liquid treatment apparatus 1 through the air filter 11 by the air fan 122 is cooled by the water generator 121 to cause condensation, thereby generating water WJ. The water generator 121 is connected to a heat pump (not shown), compresses the air in the cylinder, cools the temperature rise generated at that time with the outside air, and then passes it through the inside of an air path, which is a pipe that meanders up and down while returning to normal pressure. Thereby, the air path is cooled. The air A taken in by the air fan 122 is cooled by coming into contact with the outside of this cooled air path, and condensation occurs on the surface of the air path. Since the air path meanders up and down, condensation occurs on the entire surface of the air path, but water droplets accumulate at the lower part of the air path along the surface of the air path. The surfaces of the air path merge directly above the opening 131 of the bottom tank 13, which will be described later. The water droplets condensed on the surface travel along the merge to the opening 131 of the bottom tank 13 and fall, becoming drops. The drops further gather to form water WJ and fall inside the bottom tank 13.

[0014] The air A taken in by the air fan 122 follows a closed path from the opening until it is discharged through the air filter 11 and the water generator 121, and the wind speed inside the path is a so-called gentle breeze. When the amount of outside air introduced inside increases, the amount of water vapor inside also increases. However, if the amount of air introduced into the closed path is increased, the wind speed inside will become too fast. If the wind speed inside is too fast, the water droplets when falling will be blown away, increasing the probability that they will not fall into the bottom tank 13. As a result, when dew condensation is caused again to collect the water droplets, they may be discarded before being sufficiently cooled, or the amount of evaporation of moisture due to the blowing may increase. For this reason, it is preferable to keep it within the above-described wind speed range.

[0015] The bottom tank 13 is a tank for storing the water W0 to be purified, which is arranged at the lowermost part of the liquid treatment apparatus 1 and directly below the water generation part 12. The bottom tank 13 is provided with an opening 131, a float switch 132, a purification means inside the storage means (sterilization part 133, ozone generator 51, water filter Fa), and an inlet / outlet 134. The bottom tank 13 stores at least one of the water WJ generated by the water generation unit 12 and the liquid L such as tap water input under the control of the SOL valve 17c and the pressure switch 32 as water W0. The ozone generator 51 is disposed at a position where ozone can be added to the water W0 in the bottom tank 13. Typically, it may be installed at a position on the inner wall of the bottom tank, usually at a position submerged in water. Also, it may be disposed at the upper opening of the bottom tank 13 so that ozone can be added to the water WJ dripping from the water generator 121. In this case, the dripping water WJ may be received by a ladle, an ozone generator may be disposed at the lower end of the ladle, and ozone may be added when the dripping water WJ passes through. If it is submerged inside the bottom tank 13, the operation of the ozone generator can be ensured, and it can be constantly operated while water W0 is stored in the bottom tank 13. On the other hand, when the ozone generator 51 is installed at the lower end of the ladle, since ozone is added to the dripping water WJ, a part of the ozone will also diffuse into the air in the bottom tank 13, and a function of purifying the air can be expected.

[0016] The opening 131 is an opening provided at the upper part of the bottom tank 13. The droplets (water WJ) falling from the water generation unit 12 pass through the opening 131 and are stored in the bottom tank 13.

[0017] The float switch 132 is a measuring instrument provided inside the bottom tank 13 for measuring the water depth of the stored water W0. When the water depth of the water W0 is less than a predetermined value, for example, exceeds 80% of the total capacity of the bottom tank 13, a capacity limit signal is output. And while the signal is being output, at least one of the air fan 122 and the water generator 121 is stopped. Thereby, it is possible to prevent water from overflowing from the bottom tank 13. In this embodiment, the air fan 122 is stopped in response to the capacity limit signal, but the water generator 121 is not stopped. This is because if the water generator 121 is stopped once, it takes time for recooling to prevent condensation. That is, when the air fan 122 is stopped, new high-humidity outside air (air A) is no longer introduced. Therefore, without stopping the water generator 121, the generation rate of new water W can be significantly reduced. Also, even if the water generator 121 is stopped, condensation due to the taken-in air A continues until it returns to room temperature from the cooled state. Therefore, it is preferable to stop water generation at a preset value less than the total capacity of the bottom tank 13.

[0018] The sterilization unit 133 and the ozone generator 51 sterilize the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13. In this embodiment, the sterilization unit 133 is a UV (UltraViolet) sterilization unit that performs sterilization by irradiating ultraviolet rays. The provided UV (ultraviolet) lamp sterilizes the water W0. Since the UV lamp performs sterilization by irradiating ultraviolet rays of a predetermined wavelength (for example, ultraviolet rays in the UVC (wavelength 200 - 280 nm) region such as 275 nm), it has the effect of killing fungi, but objects to be removed such as fine particles, miscellaneous bacteria, and bacteria mixed in the water W0 cannot be completely removed only by this UV sterilization.

[0019] Therefore, in this embodiment, inside the bottom tank 13, separately from the sterilization unit 133, an ozone generator 51 is arranged as purification means for purifying the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13. The ozone generator 51 purifies the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13. Specifically, the ozone generator 51 generates ozone in the water in the tank to produce ozone water, and the bacteria, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria), impurities, etc. contained in the water W0 are sterilized by the ozone water. As a result, since the bacteria and miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria) are killed upstream of the filter group 15, the filter group 15 is supplied with the sterilized water W0, and it is possible to keep it clean until reaching the fine structure inside the filter group 15. The ozone generator 51 has diamond electrodes. The diamond electrodes are electrodes for generating ozone. By bringing water into contact while energizing these diamond electrodes, the generated ozone can be dissolved in the water. Since the diamond electrodes do not emit harmful substances like other platinum electrodes, etc., they can generate ozone suitable for purifying drinking water. In addition, since ozone dissociates in about 30 minutes even when dissolved in water, it has no effect on the human body. The ozone generator 51 using diamond electrodes has low power consumption and can generate ozone even with a power supply of about 1w. Therefore, it can be fully operated even with a smartphone battery, a solar battery, etc. during a disaster, etc., and the water filter group 15 can be kept clean even when electricity is lost in an emergency. As a result, the liquid treatment device 1 can be operated for supplying drinking water when the power supply such as the power grid disappears.

[0020] Also, in the water filter group 15 described later, fine particles including fungi are removed. However, since the water W0 may stay in the bottom tank 13 for a certain period of time or longer, it is important to prevent the growth of bacteria during that retention period. The water filter group 15 removes impurities by filtering when water is dropped, but the filtered residue will remain inside the filter group 15. The inventor has experimentally found that if bacteria growing on this residue remain, it will cause the bacteria filtered by the filter group 15 to grow on the spot, leading to a decline in the filter function and ultimately the destruction of the filter. In this embodiment, since bacteria are sterilized upstream of the filter group 15, such problems are less likely to occur. Moreover, since the water W0 itself to be filtered has a sterilizing effect by ozone addition, the inside of the filter group 15 can be continuously purified each time the water W0 passing through the filter group 15 permeates. Thereby, the lifespan of the filter constituting the water filter group 15 can be extended. It is desirable that the ultraviolet rays of the UV lamp be irradiated inside the bottom tank 13 so as to create as little shadow as possible. In this embodiment, the UV lamp is installed at a position near the bottom inside the bottom tank 13 and away from the float switch 132. The float switch 132 is installed by being suspended from the ceiling of the bottom tank 13. For this reason, it is desirable that the UV lamp be installed at a position where the shadow of the float switch 132 is minimized.

[0021] The inlet / outlet 134 is a port for outputting the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13 toward the top tank 16. Also, the inlet / outlet 134 is also a port for inputting the liquid L input from the liquid input unit 31, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, into the bottom tank 13.

[0022] The water filter Fa (fixed filter) is a filter that filters by allowing the water W0 output from the bottom tank 13 to pass through. Also, the water filter Fa filters the liquid L input from the liquid input section 31 described later by allowing it to pass through, and then drips (inputs) it into the bottom tank 13. That is, the liquid L from outside the apparatus is filtered by the water filter Fa and then stored in the bottom tank 13.

[0023] The pumps 14a to 14c are pumps that create the respective flows of the water L, W0, and W inside the liquid treatment apparatus 1. The pump 14a outputs the water W0 from the top tank 16, allows the water W0 to pass through the water filter group 15, and inputs the liquid L (tap water, etc.) of the object to be purified into the bottom tank 13. Specifically, the pump 14a is a pump for pumping up the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13 to the top tank 16 described later. Specifically, the pump 14a sucks up the water W0 of the object to be purified stored in the bottom tank 13, passes it through the water filter Fa, passes it through the water filter group 15 described later, and then inputs it into the top tank 16. That is, the pumping that requires a strong force and the passing through the water filter group 15 are realized by the same pump (pump 14a). Therefore, it is desirable to use the pump 14a with a larger total head compared to the other pumps 14b and 14c. Also, since there is no need to pump up at a speed faster than the speed at which the water generator 121 generates water W due to condensation, the discharge amount may be the same as or lower than those of the other pumps 14b and 14c. Also, since it is necessary to allow the water W0 to pass through the water filter group 15 for high-purity filtration, the pump 14a is required to operate continuously for a long time. For this reason, the pump 14a is preferably one with high power efficiency compared to the pumps 14b and 14c. That is, the pump 14a pumps a large amount of water per unit power, has high quietness, and also has a small operating noise.

[0024] The pump 14b is a pump for outputting water W from a top tank 16 described later, sending it to a spout 18 described later, or refluxing it to the top tank 16 again. Specifically, when the SOL valve 17a opens, the pump 14b starts operating in conjunction with this. When the pump 14b starts operating, water W is output from the top tank 16, passes through sterilization by the sterilization unit 19, and becomes a state where it can be output from the spout 18. Then, when the SOL valve 17a closes, the pump 14b stops operating in conjunction with this.

[0025] Here, in this liquid treatment apparatus 1, a circulation path R (see FIG. 3) is formed for refluxing a part of the water W stored in the top tank 16 to the top tank 16 via the ozone generator 53. Specifically, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the opening and closing of the SOL valve 17a was last performed, the pump 14b operates and refluxes the water W in the pipe to the top tank 16 through the circulation path R including the ozone generator 53. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the water W remaining in the pipe from being output from the spout 18 in a state where the water temperature has changed due to the influence of the ambient temperature. For example, it is possible to prevent the water W that has been warmed by remaining in the pipe from being output even when the user tries to output cold water from the spout 18 during the hot summer season. The pump 14c is a pump for outputting water W from a hot tank 20 described later and sending it to a spout 18 described later. Since the pumps 14b and 14c operate when the user obtains water W as drinking water, the discharge volume is emphasized more than the total head. Also, since the time for obtaining water W is limited, for the pumps 14b and 14c, pumps with a lower cost can be adopted even if the calorific value is larger compared to the pump 14a. Hereinafter, when there is no need to individually distinguish each of the pumps 14a to 14c, these are collectively referred to as "pump 14".

[0026] The water filter group 15 is a permeation purification means that purifies and outputs water by allowing water W to permeate and be filtered. The water filter group 15 is configured such that a plurality of filters overlap. Here, the filter configuration of the water filter group 15 is not particularly limited. The water filter group 15 in this embodiment is composed of five water filters Fb to Ff. Specifically, the water filters Fb to Fd are pre-filters made of carbon filters, the water filter Fe is a main filter made of an RO filter (reverse osmosis membrane filter), and the water filter Ff is a mineral addition filter made of a PCR filter. The pore diameter of the activated carbon filter commonly used in general water purifiers is about 1 micrometer, while the diameter of the RO filter is about 0.0001 micrometer. Therefore, filtration can be performed by allowing permeation through ultra-fine pores. For this reason, for example, when raw water permeates through the RO filter, harmful substances and impurities are removed and only water molecules are output.

[0027] Among the water filter group 15, the three-stage pre-filters (water filters Fb to Fd) adsorb and remove substances of about 0.1 micrometer, such as organic substances typified by trihalomethane. The main filter, the water filter Fe (RO filter), also removes viruses and most of the radioactive substances floating in the air, such as radioactive cesium and radioactive iodine with a size of several nanometers, through ultra-fine pores of 0.0001 micrometer. Since the main filter passes through ultra-fine pores, it is easily clogged, and the effective life of the main filter can be extended by passing through multiple stages of pre-filters. The water passing through the main filter is purified to a level that can be called almost pure water, but people do not feel that pure water is delicious. The mineral addition filter Ff (water filter Ff) is a filter that supplements and adds minerals beneficial to the human body to the water that has become almost pure water.

[0028] The pipe from the bottom tank 13 to the water filter group 15 is arranged in the order of the ozone generator 52, the nanobubble generator 60, and the water filter group 15 with respect to the flowing direction of the water W0. In this embodiment, the ozone generator 52 is arranged in the previous stage of the water filter group 15 including the surface where the water of the water filter Fb (the first filter) of the water filter group 15 contacts and the water pipe before it. The ozone generator 52 purifies the water W0 by a method of generating ozone as a predetermined method (for example, ozone sterilization, etc.). Specifically, the ozone generator 52 is a pre-purification means for purifying the water to be purified by a predetermined method such as sterilization by ozone released into the water, for example. The water W output from the bottom tank 13 is sterilized and purified in the order of the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60, and further filtered in the order of the water filters Fb to Ff.

[0029] The nanobubble generator 60 is a bubble generator that purifies the water to be purified by generating ultrafine bubbles with a diameter smaller than that of microbubbles. In this example, as the bubble generator, a nanobubble generator 60 that generates nanobubbles (ultrafine bubbles) is used. Here, a nanobubble is a bubble with a bubble diameter smaller than 1000 nm (= 1 μm), and it stays in water for a long period of several months or more while performing an irregular motion called Brownian motion without floating in water. Nanobubbles have a higher detergency than microbubbles and have a sterilizing effect and an antibacterial effect. Ultrafine bubbles generate active oxygen at the moment of condensation and collapse. Active oxygen has no residual property and does not produce harmful substances such as trihalomethane, and can be said to be a safe sterilization means. If ozone is used as the gas input to the nanobubble generator 60, it is possible to further improve the sterilization performance. In terms of cleaning water and biofilms, the bubble generator may generate fine bubbles (microbubbles) in addition to ultrafine bubbles, and any means that generates at least microbubbles by a predetermined method is sufficient.

[0030] The top tank 16 is a tank for cooling while storing the water W that has passed through the water filter group 15. The top tank 16 is arranged at the uppermost part of the liquid treatment apparatus 1. The top tank 16 is provided with a cooling unit 161, a float switch 162, a sterilization unit 163, a water temperature sensor 164, water inlets 165 and 166, and water outlets 167 to 169. The top tank 16 is divided into a stored water W layer 16a (first layer) and an air layer 16b (second layer) by storing the water W output from the water filter group 15. The ozone generator 53 and the circulation path R are sterilized air inflow means for generating ozone Z (air having sterilizing power) and flowing it into the air layer 16b of the top tank 16. Also, during circulation, the ozone generator 53 serves as reflux water purification means for purifying the refluxed water.

[0031] The cooling unit 161 cools the water W in the top tank 16. Here, the specific method by which the cooling unit 161 cools the water W is not particularly limited, but as an example, cooling using, for example, a Peltier element or the like shall be performed.

[0032] The float switch 162 is a measuring instrument provided inside the top tank 16 for measuring the water depth of the stored water W.

[0033] Inside the top tank 16, glass coated with titanium dioxide and the sterilization unit 163 are arranged. The sterilization unit 163 is an in - storage means purification means for sterilizing the water W stored in the top tank 16 and is equipped with a UV lamp having a sterilizing effect. The UV lamp uses, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits ultraviolet rays of a predetermined wavelength such as the UVC region. That is, the sterilization unit 163 sterilizes the inside of the top tank 16 with the UV lamp in the same manner as the above - described sterilization unit 133. The water W introduced into the top tank 16 is filtered through the water filter group 15 after being UV sterilized in the bottom tank 13. Moreover, since the inside of the top tank 16 is cold water, the growth rate of miscellaneous bacteria is not fast. However, in this embodiment, additional sterilization is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays inside the top tank 16 as well. The capacity of the top tank 16 is determined by calculating from the amount of water used by the user in one day. In this embodiment, since water is generated by condensation in the water generator 121, there is an upper limit to the generation rate. Therefore, it is desirable to continue generating water even during times when the user's usage frequency is low, such as at night, so that the total amount of water used by the user per day is equal to the total amount of water generated. Also, it is not desirable to store water W in the bottom tank 13 and the top tank 16 in amounts significantly exceeding the user's usage. This is because even if multiple sterilization processes are performed, it is more desirable to provide fresh water. Therefore, in this embodiment, assuming use in a family of four, the capacity of the top tank 16 is, for example, 〇〇×4 = ** liters.

[0034] The water temperature sensor 164 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the water W stored in the top tank 16.

[0035] The water inlet 165 is provided at the upper part of the top tank 16 and is an opening for inputting the water W filtered by the water filter group 15 into the top tank 16.

[0036] The water inlet 166 is provided at the upper part of the top tank 16 and is an opening for inputting the water W output from the water outlet 167 described later back into the top tank 16.

[0037] The water outlet 167 is provided at the lower part of the top tank 16, and the water outlet 167 is an opening for outputting the water W sufficiently cooled in the top tank 16 toward the spout 18 or the water inlet 166 described later. The circulation path R is a flow path constituted by piping to which the water outlet 167, the pump 14b, the sterilization unit 19, the SOL valve 17a, the ozone generator 53, the water inlet 166, etc. are connected, and the water W remaining in the piping therebetween is refluxed together with a part of the water W stored in the top tank 16.

[0038] The water outlet 168 is a port provided at the upper part of the top tank 16. The water outlet 168 is a port for outputting the water W that has not yet been sufficiently cooled in the top tank 16 toward the hot tank 20 described later.

[0039] The water outlet 169 is a port provided at the lower part of the top tank 16. The water outlet 169 is a port for outputting the water W that has been sufficiently cooled in the top tank 16 toward the hot tank 20 described later.

[0040] The SOL valves 17a to 17c are solenoid valves whose opening and closing are controlled by the flow of current through an electromagnet (solenoid). The SOL valve 17a is provided between the pump 14b and the spout 18 described later. When the SOL valve 17a opens, the operation of the pump 14b is started in conjunction with this. Then, the water W is output from the top tank 16, passes through sterilization by the sterilization unit 19, and becomes a state where it can be output from the spout 18. When the SOL valve 17a closes, the operation of the pump 14b stops in conjunction with this. The SOL valve 17b is provided between the pump 14c and the spout 18 described later. When the SOL valve 17b opens, the operation of the pump 14c is started in conjunction with this, and when the SOL valve 17b closes, the operation of the pump 14c stops in conjunction with this. The SOL valve 17c will be described later with reference to FIG. 2. Incidentally, hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish the individual SOL valves 17a to 17c, these are collectively referred to as "SOL valve 17".

[0041] The spout 18 is a faucet for outputting, as drinking water, the water W cooled in the top tank 16 and the water W heated in the hot tank 20 described later from the liquid treatment device 1 to the outside. The spout 18 is provided with an electromagnetic or mechanical user switch or cock (not shown), and when the user operates this, either the SOL valve 17a or 17b opens, and either the corresponding pump 14b or 14c operates.

[0042] The sterilization unit 19 sterilizes the water W cooled and output in the top tank 16. Here, the specific method by which the sterilization unit 19 sterilizes the water W is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, a UV (ultraviolet) lamp provided in the sterilization unit 19 sterilizes the water W. The sterilization unit 19 is provided immediately before the SOL valve 17a in the cold water flow path, and irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the inside of the cold water flow path. Since a sterilization unit 163 that irradiates ultraviolet rays inside the tank is provided inside the top tank 16, it can also be considered that the sterilization unit 19 is not necessary in the flow path. However, in this embodiment, in consideration of the possibility that cold water may stay in the cold water flow path for a certain period after the SOL valve 17a is closed, the sterilization unit 19 is provided to further enhance safety. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a certain period of time has elapsed after the spout 18 is closed, the pump 14b is operated with the SOL valve 17a closed. Thereby, the cold water staying inside the flow path is refluxed to the top tank 16 through the water inlet 166. This is because the cold water staying in the sterilization unit 19 and the SOL valve 17a may allow miscellaneous bacteria to multiply over a long period of time, so it is returned to the top tank 16 equipped with the sterilization unit 163 and the ozone generator 53 for re-sterilization. Note that the cold water staying between the water outlet 167 and the pump 14b is finally sterilized by the sterilization unit 19 before being used.

[0043] The hot tank 20 is a tank for heating while storing the water W output from the top tank 16. The hot tank 20 is provided with a heating unit 201, water inlets 202 and 203, and water outlets 204 and 205. The heating unit 201 heats the water W in the hot tank 20. Note that the specific method by which the heating unit 201 heats the water W is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be heated using a heating wire. The water inlet 202 is provided at the upper part of the hot tank 20 and is a port for inputting the water W output from the water outlet 168 of the top tank 16 into the hot tank 20. Here, since the water outlet 168 is a port provided at the upper part of the top tank 16, relatively warm water W that has not yet been cooled by the cooling unit 161 is output. Therefore, this water W input from the water inlet 202 can be efficiently heated in a short time. The water inlet 203 is provided at the lower part of the hot tank 20 and is a port for inputting the water W output from the water outlet 169 of the top tank 16 into the hot tank 20. The water outlet 204 is provided at the upper part of the hot tank 20 and is a port for outputting the water W sufficiently heated in the hot tank 20 toward the spout 18. The water outlet 205 is a drain port provided at the lower part of the hot tank 20. The water W output from the water outlet 205 is output to the outside of the liquid treatment apparatus 1 via the drainage part 41.

[0044] Here, a sterilization unit by ultraviolet irradiation is not provided inside the hot tank 20, and the water W output from the water outlet 204 toward the spout 18 is not refluxed to the top tank 16. Furthermore, a sterilization unit is not provided immediately before the SOL valve 17b. This is because it is a tank for storing sufficiently heated warm water, so the heating unit 201 functions as a sterilization unit that so to speak substitutes for UV irradiation. Also, the small amount of warm water remaining in the flow path is originally in a sterilized state, and when the user opens the spout 18 to use the warm water, a sufficiently large amount of sufficiently heated warm water is added to the very small amount of remaining water. Thus, even if bacteria have generated in the remaining water, it will be sterilized by the added warm water. Therefore, even if the mechanisms of UV irradiation and reflux are reduced, there will be no actual reduction in performance, and productivity is rather increased.

[0045] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, as a method other than purifying the water WJ generated from the air A into drinking water, a method of purifying the liquid L from outside the apparatus and outputting it as drinking water will be described.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of a part of the liquid treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 that directly inputs a liquid from outside the apparatus. Note that the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 2 is an arrow indicating the upward direction of the liquid treatment apparatus 1, and it indicates the same direction as the arrow Y in FIG. 1, which also indicates the upward direction of the liquid treatment apparatus 1.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid treatment apparatus 1 can input the liquid L using two methods. Specifically, as a first method (first method) of inputting the liquid L into the liquid treatment apparatus 1, the liquid L can be input from the liquid input unit 31. The liquid input unit 31 is a water inlet for inputting the liquid L into the liquid treatment apparatus 1 from the outside in an emergency or the like. Although the liquid input unit 31 is depicted in a closed state in FIG. 2, by opening the liquid input unit 31 and connecting a hose or pipe (not shown), the liquid L can be input from the outside (for example, a water supply).

[0048] When the liquid L is input from the liquid input unit 31, when the water pressure of the liquid L input from the liquid input unit 31 becomes a certain level or higher, the pressure switch 32 detects this. When a water pressure of a certain level or higher is detected by the pressure switch 32, the SOL valve 17c is opened, and the liquid L from the liquid input unit 31 is input into the bottom tank 13. The liquid L input into the bottom tank 13 is stored in a state of being mixed with the water WJ generated by the water generation unit 12. Here, the mixture of the water WJ stored in the bottom tank 13 and the liquid L is a substance different from the water W, but in the liquid treatment apparatus 1, it is handled in the same way as the water W0 which is the object of treatment. That is, when the mixture of the water WJ and the liquid L is output from the bottom tank 13, it becomes the object of the processes of steps S1 to S8 described later and can be output from the spout 18 as drinking water. Therefore, hereinafter, the mixture of the water WJ and the liquid L, and the water stored in the bottom tank 13 will also be referred to as the object of treatment or the water W0 for convenience of explanation.

[0049] Also, while the liquid L input from the liquid input unit 31 is under a water pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold value, it can be directly input to the water filter group 15 by the pump 14a without being input to the bottom tank 13.

[0050] Here, returning to FIG. 1, the inlet / outlet 134 which is the water inlet for inputting the liquid L to the bottom tank 13 and the inlet / outlet 134 which is the water outlet for outputting the water W0 from the bottom tank 13 are the same. Therefore, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1, the following input / output control is performed for the liquid which is the object of treatment (for example, at least one of the water WJ generated by the water generation unit 12 and the liquid L input from the liquid input unit 31, etc.). That is, when the float switch 132 detects that the water level in the bottom tank 13 has exceeded a predetermined threshold value (in the case of this embodiment, 80% of the capacity of the bottom tank 13), regardless of the operation of the pressure switch 32, the SOL valve 17c is controlled to be forcibly closed. Then, the suction of the water W0 by the pump 14a, the permeation through the water filter group 15, and the control of the input to the top tank 16 are performed as described above. That is, by controlling the pump 14a and the SOL valve 17c to operate mutually exclusively, it is possible to prevent the water W0 and the liquid L from flowing in an unintended direction. Specifically, the pump 14a does not operate when the water level in the bottom tank 13 does not reach a predetermined threshold and the SOL valve 17c is open because the water pressure of the liquid L exceeds the predetermined threshold. On the contrary, the pump 14a operates when the water level in the bottom tank 13 exceeds the predetermined threshold and the SOL valve 17c is closed because the water pressure of the liquid L does not reach the predetermined threshold. In addition, in this first method, it is assumed that the liquid L taken in from outside the apparatus uses water purified at a level above a certain level, such as tap water or mineral water in a PET bottle (see FIG. 3). This is because when introducing the liquid L into the bottom tank 13, it is necessary to allow the filter Fa to pass through in the reverse direction in order to use the inlet / outlet 134. If the liquid L taken in contains impurities in order to allow the filter Fa to pass through in the reverse direction, it will remain outside the filter Fa, and it will be necessary to filter it with a higher-performance pre-filter in the subsequent stage. In the present embodiment, since the pressure switch 32 is provided, the flow path is not opened unless a water pressure above a certain level is applied. Therefore, even if the user tries to inject river water by connecting a hose to the liquid input section, unpurified water will not be injected into the bottom tank 13.

[0051] Next, as a second method (the second method) of inputting the liquid L into the liquid treatment apparatus 1, the liquid L can be directly input (poured) into the bottom tank 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the user (not shown) pulls out the bottom tank 13 until the opening 131 is exposed outside the liquid treatment apparatus 1, and pours the liquid L through the opening 131. Thereby, even when sufficient water pressure cannot be ensured for the liquid L from the liquid input section 31, the liquid L can be manually input into the bottom tank 13, so that the convenience for the user can be improved.

[0052] Here, the liquid L input into the liquid treatment apparatus 1 by the second method is not particularly limited, and it may be tap water, or a liquid containing water in its components, or a mixture of a liquid and a solid. For example, it may be rainwater, river water, water stored in a predetermined tank (such as a bucket or a container), etc. Although rainwater, river water, etc. may contain large impurities, it is preferable to input such a liquid L not from the liquid input section 31 but from the opening 131 of the bottom tank 13. In this case, when output from the bottom tank 13, large impurities are removed by the water filter Fa. Of course, it goes without saying that if river water or the like is used, clogging of each filter will progress and the usable period will be shortened. This second method is an emergency measure used when purified water cannot be obtained during a disaster or the like, or when the amount of water generated by condensation is insufficient.

[0053] According to the liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, during normal times, clean drinking water obtained by condensing moisture in the air is provided by the first method, while during an emergency such as a disaster, unfit liquids can be purified and provided as drinking water by the second method.

[0054] During an emergency such as the occurrence of a natural disaster, there may be water that cannot be prepared in large quantities or that is relatively unhygienic, and there may also be cases where it is desired to purify liquids that are not suitable for being poured into the bottom tank 13 where relatively clean water is stored. In such a case, instead of pouring it into the bottom tank 13, it is also possible to directly input water in a PET bottle or the like directly in front of the pump 14a. For this reason, a water inlet plug (not shown) and a valve (not shown) for preventing backflow to the front stage (bottom tank 13 side) of the water inlet plug during water inlet are provided in front of the pump 14a (immediately before). In case of emergency, close the valve, connect a water-filled PET bottle to the water inlet plug, and suck up the water in the PET bottle with the pump 14a and store it in the top tank 16 through the ozone generator 52 and the water filter group 15. As the water inlet plug, a plug shaped to fit into the drinking mouth of the PET bottle may be provided, and the pumped-up well water, river water, etc. may be poured into a PET bottle with a hole at the bottom and introduced into the device through the water inlet plug from the drinking mouth side.

[0055] Subsequently, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the flow of the treatment in the liquid treatment device 1 of the embodiment and the mechanism of water purification in the piping (flow path) will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the mechanism of water purification in the piping (flow path) of the liquid treatment device 1 of FIG. 1. In step S1, the air filter 11 filters the air A taken into the liquid treatment device 1 from the outside and removes foreign matters. In step S2, the water generation unit 12 generates water WJ such as drops and water droplets by condensation from the air A filtered by the air filter 11 in step S1. In step S3, in the water generation unit 12, the water WJ obtained by merging the generated drops and water droplets is dropped into the bottom tank 13 and stored as the water W0 of the object to be purified. In step S4, in the bottom tank 13, the first purification is performed by irradiating the inside of the tank with ultraviolet rays by the sterilization unit 133 to sterilize the water W0 of the object to be purified. At the same time, the second purification is performed by generating ozone in the water W0 in the tank by the ozone generator 51 and sterilizing it. Also, in step S4, the pump 14a sucks up the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13 and inputs it to the water filter group 15 through the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60. At this time, before step S5 (the permeation purification step for performing the fifth purification), the ozone generator 52 purifies the water W0 (the third purification) by sterilizing the water W0 with the ozone generated by the ozone generator 52 by passing the water W0 through the ozone generator 52. Specifically, the ozone generator 52 generates ozone in the pipe (pipeline), which adheres to the filter surface of the first water filter Fb and chemically sterilizes bacteria, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria), impurities, etc. floating in the vicinity thereof to purify the water W0. At this time, biofilms adhering to the inner wall of the pipe are also removed. Here, chemical sterilization means that the active oxygen generated when the ozone dissolved in water is decomposed oxidizes and destroys the cell wall and cell membrane of bacteria, causing the cytoplasm to flow out and die. In addition, the nanobubble generator 60 generates microbubbles in the water W0 flowing in the pipe (pipeline) to purify the water (object to be purified) flowing through the pipe (pipeline) (fourth purification). Specifically, the nanobubble generator 60 generates nanobubbles in the water in the pipe that has passed through the ozone generator 52, physically destroying bacteria, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria), impurities, etc. adhering to the filter surface of the water filter Fb and floating in the vicinity thereof by the irregular movement of the fine bubbles to purify the water (object to be purified). At this time, biofilms adhering to the inner wall of the pipe are also removed. In step S5, the purified water is output from the water filter group 15 by allowing the water that has passed through the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60 to permeate the water filter group 15. That is, the water filter group 15 performs the fifth purification by allowing the input water to permeate and filter. Specifically, the water input to the water filter group 15 is purified by passing through the water filter Fb of the first pre-filter in the water filter group 15, and at the same time, passes through the water filters Fc, Fd in the previous stage and the RO filter (water filter Fe) in the middle stage, etc. to perform the fifth purification. Then, minerals are added by the water filter Ff, which is a mineral addition filter in the latter stage, and then input to the top tank 16. In step S6, the top tank 16 stores the water W that has passed through the water filter group 15 while cooling it, and irradiates ultraviolet rays inside the tank by the sterilization unit 163 to sterilize the water W in the tank, thereby performing the sixth purification. In step S7, the hot tank 20 stores the water W output from the top tank 16 and heats it by the heating unit 201, that is, performs a seventh purification (washing by heating) by a method different from the sixth purification. In step S8, the water W (cold water) stored in the top tank 16 is subjected to an eighth purification by ultraviolet irradiation by the sterilization unit 163, and the water W (cold water) is periodically (at each predetermined period or at a predetermined timing) circulated through a predetermined circulation path R including the ozone generator 53 while performing a ninth purification by ozone sterilization. When taking out hot water or cold water from the liquid treatment apparatus 1, the pumps 14b and 14c are respectively operated to output the water W from the top tank 16 and the hot tank 20. By the operations of the pumps 14b and 14c, the water W output from the top tank 16 and the hot tank 20 is respectively output from the spout 18 according to the opening and closing of the SOL valves 17a and 17b.

[0056] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the purification mechanism in the front stage of the water filter Fb will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the problems of water purification by a general high-performance filter and the mechanism for solving the problems in explaining the water purification mechanism in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4(A), in the purification of water by a general high-performance filter, the input water is filtered by passing through the water filter Fb in the direction of the arrow and output to the subsequent pipe T. However, since there is no sterilizing effect on the pipes in front of the water filter Fb, the filter surface (the water inlet surface), and inside the filter, bacteria D, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria) V, impurities F, etc. that are blocked and accumulated on the filter surface start to grow while accumulating over time, becoming the root cause of bacteria growth. As a result, the filter is destroyed, and a biofilm is also formed on the inner wall of the subsequent pipe T. According to the inventor's experiment, even if sterilization is performed by means such as UV light irradiation at the front stage of the filter, when operating for a long time, an event of biofilm generation is observed at the outlet of the filter. At this time, no abnormality was visually observed in the filter, but it is presumed that the internal fine structure was destroyed by the growth of bacteria, and some bacteria passed through the filter. In contrast, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4(B), an ozone generator 52 is arranged in front of the water filter Fb, and water containing ozone Z (ozone water) is input into the water filter Fb through the pipe in front of the water filter Fb via the ozone generator 52, passes through the inside of the water filter Fb, is filtered, and then output. The ozone water not only has its own sterilization effect but also has a purification effect of sterilizing the surrounding members contacted by the ozone. Therefore, when passing through the inside of the water filter Fb, it purifies the inside as well. In this way, it is important that the water in the bottom tank 13 upstream of the water filter Fb not only sterilizes but also gives the water itself a sterilizing effect. At this time, bacteria D, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria) V, impurities F, etc. that are blocked and deposited (accumulated) on the surface of the water filter Fb are sterilized and purified by the ozone water, and the inside of the filter is also sterilized and purified when passing through the water filter Fb. The biofilm formed in the subsequent pipe is also destroyed and removed. Also, when using the ozone generator 52 from the beginning, since bacteria D, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria) V, impurities F, etc. do not originally exist in the piping or the water filter Fb, bacteria D, miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria), etc. do not inhabit the piping or the filter, and the inside of the piping is always maintained in a clean state. In addition, by using the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60 in combination as in this embodiment, the sterilization and purification effects are further improved, and the clean state inside the piping is continuously maintained.

[0057] Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the details of the water purification process in the top tank of the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the details of the water purification process in the top tank of the liquid treatment apparatus of FIG. 1. Here, among the operation description (process flow) of the liquid treatment apparatus 1, the details of step S8 will be described. In step S8, it was described that the ninth purification by ozone sterilization is performed while circulating the water W0 (cold water) through the circulation channel R. More specifically, the purified water W (arrow in the figure) obtained as a result of the water input from the bottom tank 13 of FIG. 1 passing through the water filter group 15 is stored in the top tank 16. The water W stored in the top tank 16 will deteriorate as it is.

[0058] Hereinafter, the mechanism by which the water W deteriorates will be described. The top tank 16 is divided into a stored water layer 16a (the first layer of water) and an air layer 16b (the second layer of air) as long as it is not full. Also, even if it was full, when the water W is taken out from the top tank 16, that much air flows into the tank. In this way, an air layer 16b is formed inside the top tank 16. Even if an air filter or the like is arranged in front of the top tank 16, bacteria and bacteria will enter the top tank 16 together with the air. Bacteria and the like flow into the air layer 16b together with the new air, and when it touches the water W, bacteria begin to multiply in the water W. In order to suppress the growth of bacteria in the top tank 16, for example, the inside of the tank is cooled, the water in the tank is circulated, or UV sterilization is performed. However, every time the water W is used, new air flows in. Therefore, with the above methods, the generation of bacteria cannot be completely suppressed, and bacterial colonies and the like may be generated in the top tank 16 and the piping (flow path), and strange odors and foreign substances may be generated due to the deterioration of the water.

[0059] Therefore, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an ozone generator 53 is arranged on the circulation path R with respect to the air layer 16b in the top tank 16, and when the water W is circulated, the ozone generator 53 generates ozone Z (air having sterilizing power), and has a sterilizing air inflow step of flowing (refluxing) into the top tank 16 as water containing ozone Z. In the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, in order to prevent the generation and growth of bacteria in the air layer 16b, the air layer 16b is filled with air having a sterilizing effect, so that even if bacteria flow in due to the inflow of new air, sterilization is performed at the stage of the air layer 16b. Specifically, when the water W is refluxed to the top tank 16, the ozone generator 53 is connected to the piping of the circulation path R, and the water W (ozone water) containing ozone generated by the ozone generator 53 is returned (input) to the top tank 16 through the piping, and the ozone water is sprayed into the top tank 16. The atomized ozone water sprayed into the top tank 16 fills the air layer 16b with ozone of about 0.1 to 0.5 ppm, for example. Even if bacteria flow in together with the newly inflowed air, the air layer 16b can be sterilized with the air containing ozone. Further, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, a sterilizing unit 163 and glass coated with titanium dioxide are arranged in the top tank 16, and the sterilizing unit 163 sterilizes the air in the tank by a photocatalytic action using an LED UV lamp. In addition, in the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, a sterilization unit 19 is arranged in the pipe between the top tank 16 and the spout 18 (faucet). By sterilizing the water W staying in the pipe between the top tank 16 and the spout 18 (faucet) with a UV lamp (light), the water in most of the flow paths from the water inlet to the outlet is purified, so that safe water (liquid) can be supplied over a long period of time.

[0060] As described above, according to the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, by sterilizing bacteria and germs at the stage of the air layer 16b in the top tank 16, it is possible to prevent bacteria and the like from entering the water layer 16a. As a supplement, a sterilization unit 163 equipped with a UV lamp is provided in the water layer 16a, and by performing UV sterilization, the accuracy of sterilization can be enhanced by a synergistic effect with the air containing ozone.

[0061] As described above, according to the liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment, in addition to the effect as a water purifier that can generate droplets (water droplets) from the air A, merge them to generate water WJ, and purify the water WJ using a plurality of purification means and output it as drinking water, the following effects can be achieved.

[0062] 1) By arranging the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60 on the water input surface of the first water filter Fb in the water filter group 15, that is, in front of the filter, the water in which ozone is dissolved or the water mixed with nanobubbles can be given sterilization ability. Therefore, bacteria and various germs (bacteria) etc. that were blocked on the surface of the first water filter Fb can be sterilized, and impurities etc. can be decomposed and eliminated, preventing damage to the filter caused by bacteria. By protecting the first water filter Fb of the pipe (flow path) through which the water W0 to be purified flows from bacteria and the like, damage to the subsequent water filters Fb to Ff can also be prevented. As a result, the original filtration technology of the water filter group 15 can be properly utilized, and since the pipes (flow path tubes) before and after it are also sterilized, the generation of biofilms can be prevented, and the safety of the water can be significantly enhanced.

[0063] 2) An ozone generator 51 is installed in the bottom tank 13 that stores the water W0 obtained from outside the device (liquid L such as the water WJ generated from air A or tap water supplied from outside the device), and by generating ozone in the bottom tank 13, ozone water is generated in the bottom tank 13. Therefore, at the stage when the water W0 is stored in the bottom tank 13, bacteria and various germs (bacteria) contained in the water W0 can be sterilized to purify the water.

[0064] 3) By arranging the nanobubble generator 60 in the pipe (water flow path) from the bottom tank 13 to the water filter group 15, the water flowing through the pipe itself has a sterilizing ability. Therefore, bacteria and various germs (bacteria) contained in the water W0 in the pipe are sterilized, and the water can be purified before the water filter group 15. In this embodiment, the ozone generator 52 and the nanobubble generator 60 are separate devices, and in the pipe, the ozone generator 52, the nanobubble generator 60, and the water filter group 15 are arranged in this order. By installing the nanobubble generator 60 between the ozone generator 52 and the water filter Fe in this way and combining nanobubbles (microbubbles) with ozone, the residence time of ozone in the water can be extended. In addition, the ozone generator 52 may also serve as a microbubble generator. That is, one device may have an ozone generation function and a microbubble generation function.

[0065] The liquid treatment device 1 of the embodiment has a structure in which half of the water from the water filter Fe (RO filter) among the water filter group 15 is refluxed to the bottom tank 13. In this liquid treatment device 1, since the water is ozonized by the ozone generator 52 in the front stage of the water filter group 15, the ozonized water (ozone water) will be returned to the bottom tank 13. When the ozonated water is returned to the bottom tank 13, the ozonated water drips into the bottom tank 13. At this time, the air in the bottom tank 13 is purified by ozone. Therefore, in a device having a function of circulating water like this liquid treatment device 1, a combination of a water filter Fe (RO filter) and an ozone generator 52 is particularly suitable.

[0066] Further, in the liquid treatment device 1 of the embodiment, the ozone generator 51 may be submerged and disposed in the water in the bottom tank 13 or may be disposed in a pipe (water flow path). In particular, by interposing and disposing the ozone generator 52 in the pipe between the bottom tank 13 and the water filter Fb, water in a state with a large amount of residual ozone can be supplied to the water filter group 15 including the water filter Fb. Therefore, it is most preferable to dispose the ozone generator 52 immediately before the first water filter Fb. Note that the ozone in the water is preferably 0.1 ppm or less.

[0067] Here, a comparison between the liquid treatment device 1 of the embodiment and other filter sterilization techniques will be described. Examples of other filter sterilization techniques include filter heat sterilization and alcohol disinfection. Filter heat sterilization promotes thermal degradation of the filter and thus requires replacement in a short period, which is not preferable. Also, alcohol disinfection requires a considerable amount because it is necessary to spread alcohol to the inside of a filter with a complex structure, and it is necessary to completely remove the alcohol after sterilization for use as a beverage. On the other hand, in the liquid treatment device 1 using the ozone generators 51 to 53 and the nanobubble generator 60 as in this embodiment, there is no damage to the water filter group 15, no consumables are required, and it can be operated with low power consumption, which is preferable. In addition, there is also a method using hypochlorous acid. In this method, although there is a sterilizing ability, it affects the taste (flavor), so it is not preferable for drinking. Also, consumables for maintaining the concentration of hypochlorous acid are required, resulting in an increase in cost.

[0068] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope capable of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0069] For example, the configuration of the liquid processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is merely illustrative and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the liquid processing apparatus 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the configuration adopted to realize this function is not particularly limited to the examples of FIGS. 1 to 5. In the liquid processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the pump 14a that sucks water from the bottom tank 13 and the ozone generator 52 operate in conjunction. Specifically, the power supply for operation is supplied to the diamond electrode (electrode for ozone generation) of the ozone generator 52 at the same timing as the supply power to the pump 14a for pumping out the water W0 stored in the bottom tank 13 to the filter. As a result, the ozone generator 52 always operates in running water, and since water does not stagnate, the diamond electrode that generates heat during operation can be cooled.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the ozone generator 51 is housed in the bottom tank 13 has been described, but the ozone generator 51 may be housed in the top tank 16 as necessary. That is, the ozone generator 51 may be housed in each of the bottom tank 13 that stores the water W0 to be input to the water filter group 15 and the top tank 16 that stores the water W output from the water filter group 15, and the water stored in each tank may be purified by ozone sterilization (a predetermined method).

[0071] To summarize, the water treatment apparatus to which the present invention is applied may have the following configuration and can take various embodiments. That is, the liquid processing apparatus (for example, the liquid processing apparatus 1 in FIG. 1) to which the present invention is applied (1) a first storage means (for example, the bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1) for storing the liquid to be purified (for example, the liquid L such as tap water from outside the apparatus in FIG. 1), A permeation purification means (for example, the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) that outputs the purified liquid by allowing the object to be purified to permeate; A second storage means (for example, the top tank 16 in FIG. 1) that stores the liquid (for example, the water W in FIG. 1) output from the permeation purification means; A pipeline (for example, the pipe from the bottom tank 13 to the top tank 16 in FIG. 1) that communicates from the first storage means (for example, the bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1) to the permeation purification means (for example, the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) and from the permeation purification means (for example, the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) to the second storage means (for example, the top tank 16 in FIG. 1), through which the object to be purified flows; A bubble generator (for example, the nanobubble generator 60 in FIG. 1) that is disposed in the pipeline and generates bubbles with a diameter of microbubbles or less (for example, nanobubbles) to purify the object to be purified flowing through the pipeline; and is provided with. In this way, bubbles with a diameter of microbubbles or less (for example, nanobubbles) are generated in a pipeline (for example, a pipe or a circulation path R, etc.), and the bubbles flow through the pipeline to purify the object to be purified (the water W0 to be purified), and the water (purified water W, etc.) after passing through the permeation purification means (for example, the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) is further purified. Therefore, bacteria D and miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria) V contained in the water in the pipeline are sterilized, and impurities F, etc. are decomposed, so that the water in the pipeline (for example, the water W0, W in FIG. 1) can be maintained (held) in a clean state.

[0072] (2) The liquid treatment apparatus (for example, the liquid treatment apparatus 1 in FIG. 1) to which the present invention is applied The bubble generator (for example, the nanobubble generator 60 in FIG. 1) can be disposed in the pipeline in front of the permeation purification means (for example, the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1). can be.

[0073] (3) The liquid treatment apparatus (for example, the liquid treatment apparatus 1 in FIG. 1) to which the present invention is applied Input control means (e.g., SOL valve 17c and pressure switch 32 in FIG. 1) for executing control of the input of the liquid (e.g., tap water L in FIG. 1), Liquid generation means (e.g., water generation unit 12 in FIG. 1) for generating the liquid (e.g., water WJ in FIG. 1) from moisture contained in air (e.g., air A in FIG. 1), further comprising, The first storage means (e.g., bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1) is disposed directly below the liquid generation means, and stores at least one of the liquid (e.g., water WJ in FIG. 1) that has fallen from the liquid generation means and the liquid (e.g., tap water L in FIG. 1) input under the control of the input control means as the object to be purified (e.g., water W0 in FIG. 1), can do.

[0074] (4) The liquid treatment apparatus (e.g., liquid treatment apparatus 1 in FIG. 1) to which the present invention is applied, A pump (e.g., pump 14a in FIG. 1) for outputting the object to be purified from the first storage means (e.g., bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1), permeating the object to be purified through the permeation purification means (e.g., water filter group 15 in FIG. 1), and inputting the liquid to the second storage means (e.g., top tank 16 in FIG. 1), further comprising, The bubble generator (e.g., nanobubble generator 60 in FIG. 1) is disposed between the pump (e.g., pump 14a in FIG. 1) and the permeation purification means (e.g., water filter group 15 in FIG. 1), can do.

[0075] (5) The liquid treatment method to which the present invention is applied, A first storage means (e.g., bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1) for storing the liquid of the object to be purified, Permeation purification means (e.g., water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) for outputting the purified liquid by permeating the object to be purified, A second storage means (e.g., top tank 16 in FIG. 1) for storing the liquid output from the permeation purification means, From the first storage means (e.g., the bottom tank 13 in FIG. 1) to the permeation purification means (e.g., the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1), and from the permeation purification means (e.g., the water filter group 15 in FIG. 1) to the second storage means (e.g., the top tank 16 in FIG. 1) are respectively communicated, and a pipeline through which the object to be purified flows (e.g., the pipe from the bottom tank 13 to the top tank 16 in FIG. 1), A liquid treatment method in a liquid treatment apparatus comprising: A step (e.g., step S4 in FIG. 1) in which a bubble generator (e.g., the nanobubble generator 60 in FIG. 1) generates bubbles with a diameter of microbubbles or less to purify the object to be purified flowing through the pipeline. Including It is possible.

Explanation of symbols

[0076] 1 ··· Liquid treatment apparatus, 11 ··· Air filter, 12 ··· Water generation unit, 13 ··· Bottom tank, 14, 14a, 14b, 14c ··· Pumps, 15 ··· Water filter group, 16 ··· Top tank, 17, 17a, 17b, 17c ··· SOL valves, 18 ··· Spout, 19 ··· Sterilization unit, 20 ··· Hot tank, 31 ··· Liquid input unit, 32 ··· Pressure switch, 41 ··· Drainage unit, 51 to 53 ··· Ozone generators, 60 ··· Nanobubble generator, 121 ··· Water generator, 122 ··· Air fan, 131 ··· Opening, 132 ··· Float switch, 133 ··· Sterilization unit, 134 ··· Inlet / outlet, 161 ··· Cooling unit, 162 ··· Float switch, 163 ··· Sterilization unit, 164 ··· Water temperature sensor, 165, 166 ··· Inlet, 167, 168, 169 ··· Outlet, 201 ··· Heating unit, 202, 203 ··· Inlet, 204, 205 ··· Outlet, A ··· Air, D ··· Bacteria, F ··· Impurities, Fa, Fb, Fc, Fd, Fe, Ff ··· Water filters, L ··· Liquid (tap water, etc.), S ··· Each step, V ··· Miscellaneous bacteria (bacteria), W ··· Purified water, W0 ··· Water to be purified, Y ··· Arrow, Z ··· Ozone

Claims

1. A first storage means for storing the liquid to be purified; A permeation purification means for outputting the purified liquid by allowing the object to be purified to permeate; A second storage means for storing the liquid output from the permeation purification means; A pipeline that connects the first storage means to the permeation purification means and the permeation purification means to the second storage means, respectively, through which the object to be purified flows; A bubble generator disposed in the pipeline, generating bubbles with a diameter of less than or equal to microbubbles, for purifying the object to be purified flowing through the pipeline; A liquid treatment apparatus comprising the above.

2. The bubble generator is disposed in the pipeline in front of the permeation purification means; The liquid treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. Input control means for executing control of the input of the liquid; Liquid generation means for generating the liquid from moisture contained in the air; Further comprising: The first storage means is disposed directly below the liquid generation means, and stores at least one of the liquid dropped from the liquid generation means and the liquid input under the control of the input control means as the object to be purified; The liquid treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

4. A pump for outputting the object to be purified from the first storage means, allowing the object to be purified to permeate through the permeation purification means, and inputting the liquid into the second storage means; Further comprising: The bubble generator is disposed between the pump and the permeation purification means; The liquid treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

5. A first storage means for storing the liquid to be purified; A permeation purification means for outputting the purified liquid by allowing the object to be purified to permeate; A second storage means for storing the liquid output from the permeation purification means; A pipeline that connects the first storage means to the permeation purification means and the permeation purification means to the second storage means, respectively, through which the object to be purified flows; A liquid treatment method in a liquid treatment apparatus comprising: A step in which a bubble generator generates bubbles having a diameter equal to or smaller than that of microbubbles to purify the object to be purified flowing through the pipeline; A liquid treatment method including the above.

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