Ion exchanger

Abstract

To provide an ion exchanger capable of suppressing impairment of appearance due to grease leakage.SOLUTION: An ion exchanger 10 includes a cartridge 50 filled with an ion exchange resin 80, a case 20 to which the cartridge 50 is attached, and a first seal ring 63 for closing a gap between the cartridge 50 and the case 20. In the attached state where the cartridge 50 is attached to the case 20, the restriction wall 34 of the case 20 covers the boundary between the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 and the flange 33 of the case 20 in the radial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ion exchanger. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, fuel cells have been designed to suppress temperature rise during power generation by using cooling water circulating inside the fuel cell. When ions are eluted into the cooling water as the fuel cell generates power, the conductivity of the cooling water increases. This can result in a decrease in the performance of the fuel cell due to electrical leakage through the cooling water. For this reason, fuel cells are connected to ion exchangers that remove ions from the cooling water by passing the cooling water through ion exchange resin.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an ion exchanger including a cartridge filled with ion exchange resin, a case into which the cartridge is attached, and a seal ring that seals the gap between the cartridge and the case. The cartridge has a retaining groove that holds the seal ring. A male thread is provided on the outer surface of the cartridge. The case includes a storage section that houses the cartridge, an inlet pipe that allows coolant to flow into the storage section, and an outlet pipe that allows coolant to flow out of the storage section. The inner surface of the storage section is provided with a female thread that corresponds to the male thread of the cartridge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-133709 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the ion exchanger described above, when the cartridge is attached to the case, it is screwed into the case so that the male threads of the cartridge engage with the female threads of the case. In this case, frictional forces acting in opposite directions act on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the seal ring as the cartridge rotates relative to the case. This frictional force acting on the outer peripheral surface of the seal ring can be reduced by applying grease to the seal ring. However, in this case, there is a risk that the grease will leak from the interface between the cartridge and the case after the cartridge is attached. This could result in a disfigurement of the ion exchanger's appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ion exchanger that solves the above problem includes a cartridge filled with ion exchange resin, a case in which the cartridge is attached, and a seal ring that closes a gap between the cartridge and the case, wherein the cartridge has a lid portion, a cylindrical inner circumferential wall that extends downward from the lid portion, and a male screw portion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall, and the case has a bottom wall, a cylindrical outer circumferential wall that extends upward from the bottom wall, a flange that extends outward in the radial direction of the outer circumferential wall from an upper end of the outer circumferential wall, and a seal ring that seals the flange. The cartridge has a regulating wall extending upward from the case and a female threaded portion provided on the inner surface of the outer wall, and when the cartridge is attached to the case, the male threaded portion of the cartridge screws into the female threaded portion of the case, the seal ring is positioned between the inner wall of the cartridge and the outer wall of the case, the lid portion of the cartridge contacts the flange of the case, and the regulating wall of the case covers the boundary between the lid portion of the cartridge and the flange of the case in the radial direction.

[0007] The restricting wall of the case covers the boundary between the flange of the case and the lid of the cartridge from the outside in the radial direction. Therefore, even if grease leaks from the boundary between the flange of the case and the lid of the cartridge, the ion exchanger can prevent the grease from being visible to people handling the ion exchanger. In other words, the ion exchanger can prevent damage to its appearance due to grease leakage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ion exchanger. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ion exchanger of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ion exchanger of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ion exchanger of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the ion exchanger will be described below. <Configuration of this embodiment> 1, the ion exchanger 10 includes a case 20 and two cartridges 50. The ion exchanger 10 is connected to a cooling circuit 100 through which cooling water flows for cooling the fuel cell, for example.

[0010] In the following description, the up-down direction of the ion exchanger 10 will be used. In the drawing, the up-down direction of the ion exchanger 10 is the direction in which the Z axis extends. The up-down direction of the ion exchanger 10 preferably coincides with the vertical direction.

[0011] <Case 20> 1 and 2, the case 20 includes two storage sections 30 and a flow path forming section 40. The case 20 is made of a material such as a thermoplastic resin. In this case, the case 20 can be manufactured by injection molding.

[0012] <Storage section 30> The two storage sections 30 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the flow path forming section 40. The two storage sections 30 have substantially the same configuration. The storage section 30 has a bottom wall 31, an outer peripheral wall 32, a flange 33, and a restriction wall 34.

[0013] The bottom wall 31 is disk-shaped. The thickness direction of the bottom wall 31 is the up-down direction. The bottom wall 31 has an inlet 311 and an outlet 312. The inlet 311 and the outlet 312 penetrate the bottom wall 31 in the thickness direction. The inlet 311 is provided at a position offset from the center of the bottom wall 31, and the outlet 312 is provided at the center of the bottom wall 31. The bottom walls 31 of the two storage sections 30 are connected to the flow path forming section 40.

[0014] The outer peripheral wall 32 is cylindrical. The outer peripheral wall 32 has a first outer peripheral wall 321 extending upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall 31, and a second outer peripheral wall 322 extending upward from the upper end of the first outer peripheral wall 321. The inner diameter of the first outer peripheral wall 321 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second outer peripheral wall 322. It is preferable that the inner diameters of the first outer peripheral wall 321 and the second outer peripheral wall 322 gradually increase upward. A female thread portion 323 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second outer peripheral wall 322. The upper end of the second outer peripheral wall 322 defines an opening of the storage section 30.

[0015] The flange 33 is plate-shaped. The flange 33 extends from the upper end of the second outer peripheral wall 322 outward in the radial direction of the second outer peripheral wall 322. In a plan view in the vertical direction, the flange 33 has a circular outer shape. The flange 33 has a recessed groove 331 that is recessed downward. The recessed groove 331 is provided around the circumferential direction of the flange 33. In other words, in a plan view in the vertical direction, the recessed groove 331 has an annular shape.

[0016] The restricting wall 34 has a cylindrical shape. The restricting wall 34 extends upward from the outer edge of the flange 33. The restricting wall 34 has a plurality of discharge holes 341 penetrating the restricting wall 34 in the plate thickness direction. The plurality of discharge holes 341 are positioned at intervals in the circumferential direction of the restricting wall 34. In this embodiment, the discharge holes 341 have a slit shape. That is, the discharge holes 341 are provided from the upper end of the restricting wall 34 to the lower end of the restricting wall 34. Furthermore, the lower end of the discharge hole 341 is positioned above the lower end of the recessed groove 331.

[0017] <Flow path forming portion 40> The flow path forming section 40 has an inlet pipe 41 and an outlet pipe 42. The flow path forming section 40 also has an inlet flow path 43 and an outlet flow path 44.

[0018] The inlet pipe 41 and the outlet pipe 42 are connected to the cooling circuit 100. The inlet flow path 43 connects the inlet pipe 41 to the inlets 311 of the two storage units 30. The outlet flow path 44 connects the outlet pipe 42 to the outlets 312 of the two storage units 30. In this way, the flow path forming unit 40 allows the cooling water to flow from the cooling circuit 100 into the two storage units 30, and allows the cooling water to flow from the two storage units 30 to the cooling circuit 100. The flow path forming unit 40 may be configured integrally with the two storage units 30, or may be configured separately.

[0019] <Cartridge 50> The cartridge 50 includes a housing 60, a retention unit 70, and an ion exchange resin 80. The cartridge 50 also includes a first space SP1 and a second space SP2. The material of the cartridge 50, excluding the ion exchange resin 80, etc., is a thermoplastic resin.

[0020] The housing 60 constitutes the exterior of the cartridge 50. The housing 60 has a lid portion 61, an inner circumferential wall 62, and a first seal ring 63. The lid portion 61 has a circular shape in a plan view in the vertical direction. The central portion of the lid portion 61 bulges upward relative to the peripheral edge portion of the lid portion 61. The outer diameter of the lid portion 61 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 33 of the case 20. The inner peripheral wall 62 has a cylindrical shape. The inner peripheral wall 62 extends downward from the lid portion 61. The outer diameter of the inner peripheral wall 62 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall 32 of the case 20. The inner peripheral wall 62 has a seal retaining portion 621 that retains the first seal ring 63 and a male thread portion 622 that corresponds to the female thread portion 323 of the housing portion 30 of the case 20. The seal retaining portion 621 and the male thread portion 622 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 62. The seal retaining portion 621 is located above the male thread portion 622. The seal holding portion 621 holds the first seal ring 63 so as to prevent the first seal ring 63 from moving in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the seal holding portion 621 is configured by two annular ribs that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and protrude radially outward from the inner circumferential wall 62. The first seal ring 63 corresponds to the "seal ring."

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the holding unit 70 has an upper partition wall 71, a lower partition wall 72, a connecting pipe 73, and a plurality of seal rings 74 to 76. The upper partition wall 71 and the lower partition wall 72 have a circular shape in a plan view in the up-down direction. The upper partition wall 71 and the lower partition wall 72 respectively have mesh members 711 and 721 that allow the cooling water to pass through but prevent the ion exchange resin 80 from passing through. The mesh members 711 and 721 are configured to allow the cooling water to pass through but prevent the ion exchange resin 80 from passing through. For example, the mesh members 711 and 721 are configured by providing a plurality of through holes in a metal plate such as stainless steel.

[0022] A second seal ring 74 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper partition 71, and a third seal ring 75 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower partition 72. The connecting pipe 73 is cylindrical. The axial direction of the connecting pipe 73 is the vertical direction. The connecting pipe 73 connects the upper partition 71 and the lower partition 72 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the upper partition 71 and the connecting pipe 73 are configured as an integral unit, and the lower partition 72 and the connecting pipe 73 are configured as separate bodies. For this reason, a fourth seal ring 76 is arranged between the lower partition 72 and the connecting pipe 73 to close the gap between them.

[0023] The holding unit 70 is inserted into the housing 60 and thereby integrated with the housing 60. More specifically, an upper partition wall 71 of the holding unit 70 fits into the lid portion 61 of the housing 60, and a lower partition wall 72 of the holding unit 70 fits into the inner peripheral wall 62 of the housing 60. In addition, a second seal ring 74 is disposed between the upper partition wall 71 of the holding unit 70 and the lid portion 61 of the housing 60, and a third seal ring 75 is disposed between the lower partition wall 72 of the holding unit 70 and the inner peripheral wall 62 of the housing 60.

[0024] The first space SP1 is a space defined by the inner peripheral wall 62 of the housing 60 and the upper and lower partition walls 71 and 72 and the connecting pipe 73 of the holding unit 70. The second space SP2 is a space defined by the lid portion 61 of the housing 60 and the upper partition wall 71 of the holding unit 70. The second space SP2 is connected to the first space SP1 via the mesh member 711 of the upper partition wall 71.

[0025] The ion exchange resin 80 is filled in the first space SP1 of the cartridge 50. The ion exchange resin 80 is, for example, a large number of granular resins. The ion exchange resin 80 removes ions from the cooling water passing through the first space SP1 by ion exchange.

[0026] <How to install Cartridge 50> The method of mounting the cartridge 50 includes a grease application step and a screwing step. The grease application step is a step of applying grease to the surface of the first seal ring 63 of the cartridge 50. The viscosity of the grease is preferably such that the grease applied to the first seal ring 63 does not drip downward under its own weight. In addition, the specific gravity of the grease is preferably greater than the specific gravity of water.

[0027] The screwing process is a process that follows the grease application process. In the screwing process, after inserting the cartridge 50 into the housing portion 30 of the case 20, the cartridge 50 is rotated relative to the case 20. At this time, a frictional force is generated between the inner peripheral surface of the first seal ring 63 and the inner peripheral wall 62 of the cartridge 50, and a frictional force is generated between the outer peripheral surface of the first seal ring 63 and the outer peripheral wall 32 of the cartridge 50. Because these frictional forces are in opposite directions, the posture of the first seal ring 63 tends to change depending on the magnitude of the frictional force.

[0028] However, by performing the grease application process prior to the screwing process, the frictional force generated between the outer peripheral surface of the first seal ring 63 and the outer peripheral wall 32 of the cartridge 50 is reduced. As a result, unintended changes in the posture of the first seal ring 63 are suppressed during the screwing process. Also, during the screwing process, the female thread portion 323 of the case 20 and the male thread portion 622 of the cartridge 50 are threadedly engaged. Furthermore, when the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 comes into contact with the flange 33 of the case 20 during the screwing process, the cartridge 50 cannot rotate relative to the case 20. In this manner, the cartridge 50 is attached to the case 20.

[0029] In the following description, the surface of the flange 33 of the case 20 that comes into contact with the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 will be referred to as the "pressure-receiving surface 332." The pressure-receiving surface 332 is a portion of the case 20 that receives the axial force generated when the cartridge 50 is screwed in. The pressure-receiving surface 332 is located radially inward of the groove 331 on the flange 33 of the case 20. In other words, the groove 331 can be said to be located between the pressure-receiving surface 332 and the restriction wall 34 in the radial direction of the flange 33. In yet other words, the groove 331 is disposed radially between the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 and the restriction wall 34 of the case 20. In this respect, the groove 331 of the flange 33 of the case 20 is not covered by the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50.

[0030] Although the explanation is omitted, when the cartridge 50 is to be removed from the case 20, for example when replacing the cartridge 50 with another cartridge 50, the cartridge 50 can be rotated in the opposite direction to the screwing process.

[0031] <Engagement Relationship Between Case 20 and Cartridge 50> In the mounted state in which the cartridge 50 is mounted in the case 20, the first seal ring 63 is compressed between the outer peripheral wall 32 of the case 20 and the inner peripheral wall 62 of the cartridge 50. This closes the gap between the outer peripheral wall 32 of the case 20 and the inner peripheral wall 62 of the cartridge 50. Furthermore, the restricting wall 34 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 face each other in the radial direction. In this respect, the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 is covered in the radial direction by the restricting wall 34 of the case 20.

[0032] In the mounted state, a space (hereinafter referred to as a "third space SP3") is formed between the lower partition wall 72 of the cartridge 50 and the bottom wall 31 of the case 20. The third space SP3 is connected to the first space SP1 via a mesh member 721 of the lower partition wall 72. The third space SP3 is also connected to the inlet flow path 43 of the flow path forming section 40 via an inlet 311 of the bottom wall 31. Meanwhile, the lower end of the connecting pipe 73 of the cartridge 50 is connected to the outlet flow path 44 of the flow path forming section 40 via an outlet 312 of the bottom wall 31. As a result, the cooling water flowing into the ion exchanger 10 flows through the inlet pipe 41, the inlet flow path 43, the third space SP3, the mesh member 721 of the lower partition wall 72, the first space SP1, the mesh member 711 of the upper partition wall 71, the second space SP2, the connecting pipe 73, the outlet flow path 44, and the outlet pipe 42 in this order, before flowing out of the ion exchanger 10. When the cooling water passing through the ion exchanger 10 flows through the first space SP1, ions are removed by the ion exchange resin 80 filled in the first space SP1.

[0033] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ion exchanger 10 taken along a plane along the vertical direction that intersects with the restriction wall 34 of the case 20. On the other hand, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ion exchanger 10 taken along a plane along the vertical direction that intersects with the discharge hole 341 of the restriction wall 34 of the case 20. For this reason, the discharge hole 341 is not shown in Figure 3, and the restriction wall 34 is not shown in Figure 4.

[0034] As described above, a grease application process is performed when the cartridge 50 is attached to the case 20. Therefore, in the screwing process, which is a process that follows the grease application process, the grease applied to the first seal ring 63 may adhere to the vicinity of the opening of the housing portion 30 of the case 20. As shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 3 , this grease may pass between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 due to capillary action.

[0035] In this regard, in the ion exchanger 10 of this embodiment, the restriction wall 34 of the case 20 covers the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 from the radially outer side. Therefore, even if grease leaks from the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 3 , the grease is unlikely to be visible to anyone handling the ion exchanger 10. Here, the term "person handling the ion exchanger 10" refers to people involved in the manufacture of the ion exchanger 10, people involved in the inspection of the ion exchanger 10, people who transport the ion exchanger 10, people who connect the ion exchanger 10 to a fuel cell, and the like. Furthermore, the flange 33 of the case 20 has a recessed groove 331 recessed downward. Therefore, grease leaking from the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 is captured in the recessed groove 331 of the flange 33.

[0036] On the other hand, when the ion exchanger 10 is mounted together with a fuel cell in a mounting object such as a vehicle, the ion exchanger 10 may be exposed to liquids such as washing liquid used in car washing and rainwater. In this case, liquid may accumulate between the restricting wall 34 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50. In this regard, the restricting wall 34 of the case 20 has a plurality of drain holes 341. Therefore, as shown by the dashed-dotted lines in FIG. 4 , such liquid is discharged through the plurality of drain holes 341. As a result, liquid is prevented from accumulating between the restricting wall 34 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50.

[0037] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The restricting wall 34 of the case 20 covers the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50 from the outside in the radial direction. Therefore, even if grease leaks from the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid portion 61 of the cartridge 50, the ion exchanger 10 can prevent the grease from being visible to the eyes of a person handling the ion exchanger 10. In other words, the ion exchanger 10 can prevent damage to its appearance due to grease leakage.

[0038] (2) The flange 33 of the case 20 has a groove 331 that can trap grease. Therefore, even if grease leaks from the boundary between the flange 33 of the case 20 and the lid 61 of the cartridge 50, the ion exchanger 10 can retain the grease in the groove 331 of the flange 33.

[0039] (3) The restricting wall 34 of the case 20 has a plurality of drain holes 341 through which liquid can be discharged. Therefore, even when the ion exchanger 10 is exposed to liquid, it is possible to prevent liquid from accumulating inside the restricting wall 34 of the case 20.

[0040] (4) The specific gravity of grease is greater than the specific gravity of water, an example of a liquid. In other words, water does not sink easily in grease. Therefore, if the ion exchanger 10 is submerged in water after grease has been trapped in the groove 331 of the flange 33 of the case 20, the ion exchanger 10 can discharge the water from inside the restriction wall 34 of the case 20 while retaining the grease in the groove 331.

[0041] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0042] 4, in the above embodiment, the lower end of the discharge hole 341 is located higher than the lower end of the recessed groove 331. However, the lower end of the discharge hole 341 may be located at the same height as the lower end of the recessed groove 331. In this modification, when the ion exchanger 10 is exposed to liquid, the liquid can be actively discharged from the inside of the restriction wall 34 of the case 20.

[0043] The shape of the discharge hole 341 of the restriction wall 34 can be changed as appropriate. The discharge hole 341 may be circular. The recessed grooves 331 of the flange 33 do not have to be provided over the entire circumferential direction of the flange 33. For example, the recessed grooves 331 of the flange 33 may be provided intermittently in the circumferential direction of the flange 33.

[0044] In the case 20, the discharge hole 341 of the restricting wall 34 and the recessed groove 331 of the flange 33 can be omitted. The positions of the inlet pipe 41 and the outlet pipe 42 can be changed as appropriate in the ion exchanger 10. For example, the cartridge 50 may have a configuration corresponding to at least one of the inlet pipe 41 and the outlet pipe 42.

[0045] The outer peripheral wall 32 of the case 20 may have a structure equivalent to the seal holding portion 621. In this case, the inner peripheral wall 62 of the cartridge 50 does not need to have the seal holding portion 621. The ion exchanger 10 may include a case 20 having one storage section 30 and one cartridge 50. Alternatively, the ion exchanger 10 may include a case 20 having three or more storage sections 30 and three or more cartridges 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10...Ion exchanger 20…case 30...Storage section 31...Bottom wall 32...Outer wall 321...First outer peripheral wall 322…Second outer peripheral wall 323... Female thread 33...Flange 331...Groove 332...Pressure surface 34...Regulatory barriers 341…Discharge hole 50...cartridge 60…Housing 61...Lid part 62…Inner peripheral wall 621...Seal retaining part 622...Male thread 63...First seal ring (seal ring) 70...Holding unit 80...Ion exchange resin

Claims

1. a cartridge filled with an ion exchange resin; a case in which the cartridge is mounted; a seal ring that closes a gap between the cartridge and the case, the cartridge has a lid portion, a cylindrical inner circumferential wall extending downward from the lid portion, and a male thread portion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall, The case has a bottom wall, a cylindrical outer peripheral wall extending upward from the bottom wall, a flange extending outward in the radial direction of the outer peripheral wall from an upper end of the outer peripheral wall, a restriction wall extending upward from the flange, and a female thread portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall, In a mounted state in which the cartridge is mounted in the case, the male thread portion of the cartridge is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion of the case, the seal ring is disposed between the inner circumferential wall of the cartridge and the outer circumferential wall of the case; the lid portion of the cartridge contacts the flange of the case, The restriction wall of the case covers the boundary between the lid portion of the cartridge and the flange of the case in the radial direction. Ion exchanger.

2. an outer diameter of the flange of the case being larger than an outer diameter of the lid of the cartridge; In the mounted state, When a portion of the flange of the case that comes into contact with the lid of the cartridge is used as a pressure-receiving surface, In the case, the flange has a recessed groove recessed downward between the pressure-receiving surface and the restriction wall in the radial direction.

2. The ion exchanger of claim 1.

3. In the case, the restricting wall has a discharge hole penetrating the restricting wall in a plate thickness direction. The ion exchanger according to claim 1 or 2.

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