Ion exchange processor and flow path switching device

Abstract

The present invention provides an ion exchange processor and a flow path switching device that can reduce the amount of hoses and other components that protrude. [Solution] The pure water purifier (ion exchange treatment device) 10 according to this disclosure comprises a main body 11 having an internal space 18 capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin, an inlet-side connection part 12 having an inlet 22 that allows water to flow into the internal space 18, and an outlet-side connection part 13 having an outlet 23 that communicates with the internal space 18 and extends downward from the main body 11. When a nozzle-side hose H2 or peripheral equipment 1 is connected to the outlet-side connection part 13, the nozzle-side hose H2 or peripheral equipment 1 extends vertically along the main body 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ion exchange processor and a flow path switching device that can be attached to the ion exchange processor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been widely and commonly practiced to wash a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "car wash") using tap water. When washing a car with tap water, impurities such as minerals contained in the tap water may adhere to the body, and ion deposits (scale) may occur on the surface of the body after the vehicle dries. In order to prevent the occurrence of ion deposits, it is necessary to completely wipe off the water after washing, which requires time and effort for car washing. For this reason, in order to prevent the generation of scale, impurities such as minerals are removed from tap water using an ion exchange processor such as a water purifier, and the car is washed with pure water from which these impurities have been removed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a holder for an ion exchanger. The ion exchanger held by this holder includes a container body and a lid. Inside the container body, an ion exchange resin is set. The lid includes a supply port for supplying tap water to the ion exchange resin and a discharge port through which the ion-exchanged water that has passed through the ion exchange resin is discharged. A hose is connected to the supply port, and tap water is supplied. A hose with a shower head attached is connected to the discharge port, and the ion-exchanged water is supplied from the shower head.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the outlet of ion exchange treatment devices such as water purifiers may be connected to a hose with a shower head attached, or to peripheral devices such as flow meters or TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meters, and then a hose may be connected to those peripheral devices.

[0006] In the ion exchanger (ion exchange processor) described in Patent Document 1, the outlet extends horizontally while held by the holder. Therefore, when a hose or the like (including when connected via the peripheral equipment mentioned above) is connected to the outlet, the hose or the like protrudes horizontally from the ion exchange processor. Consequently, when storing the ion exchange processor with the hose or the like still connected to the outlet when not in use, a large amount of storage space is required. Furthermore, when using the device with the peripheral equipment connected, the protrusion becomes even larger, potentially reducing stability during use or requiring even more space during use and storage.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide an ion exchange processor and a flow path switching device that can reduce the amount of protrusion of hoses and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the ion exchange processor according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a main body having an internal space capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin, an inlet-side connection part having an inlet that allows water to flow into the internal space, and an outlet-side connection part having an outlet that communicates with the internal space and extending downward from the main body side.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention is an ion exchange processor according to the first aspect, wherein the outlet side connection is provided on the upper part of the main body.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention is an ion exchange processor according to the first or second aspect, comprising: a branch section provided between the inlet-side connection section and the internal space; a confluence section provided between the outlet-side connection section and the internal space; a bypass channel extending between the branch section and the confluence section; and a channel switching mechanism provided in the confluence section that can switch the flow of water to the outlet-side connection section, wherein the channel switching mechanism can switch between a first state in which the flow of water from the bypass channel to the outlet-side connection section is restricted and the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet-side connection section is permitted, and a second state in which the flow of water from the bypass channel to the outlet-side connection section is permitted and the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet-side connection section is restricted.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an ion exchange processor according to the third aspect, wherein the flow path switching mechanism can be switched to a third state in addition to the first and second states, which restricts both the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet side connection and the flow of water from the bypass flow path to the outlet side connection.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a flow path switching device that can be attached to an ion exchange processor, which comprises a main body having an internal space capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin, an inlet-side connection part having an inlet that allows water to flow into the internal space, and an outlet-side connection part having an outlet that communicates with the internal space, the device comprising: an inlet-side branch member having a first connection part connectable to the inlet-side connection part of the ion exchange processor, a second connection part connectable to an upstream water member, and a branch part disposed between the first and second connection parts; a third connection part connectable to the outlet-side connection part of the ion exchange processor, a fourth connection part connectable to a downstream water member, a confluence part disposed between the third and fourth connection parts, and the confluence part provided with the The system includes an outlet-side branch member having a flow path switching mechanism that can switch the flow of water to the fourth connection, and a bypass flow path member connecting the branch portion of the inlet-side branch member and the confluence portion of the outlet-side branch member, wherein the flow path switching mechanism is switchable between a first state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path member to the fourth connection is restricted and the flow of water from the third connection to the fourth connection is permitted, and a second state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path member to the fourth connection is permitted and the flow of water from the third connection to the fourth connection is restricted, and the outlet-side branch member is formed such that the fourth connection faces downward when the third connection is connected to the outlet-side connection of the ion exchange processor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an ion exchange processor and a flow path switching device that can suppress the amount of protrusion of hoses and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an ion exchange device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a longitudinal cross-section of a part of the ion exchange treatment unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a ball valve. [Figure 4]This is an explanatory diagram of the first state. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram of the second state. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram of the third state. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a flow path switching device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, UP indicates upward. In each figure, the white arrow indicates the direction of water flow. "Upstream" means the upstream direction of water flow, and "downstream" means the downstream direction of water flow.

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ion exchange processor according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a longitudinal cross-section of a part of the ion exchange processor in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a ball valve. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the first state. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the second state. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the third state. Figures 4 to 6(b) are diagrams corresponding to the direction in (a), and are cross-sectional views perpendicular to the axial direction of the confluence in (a).

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, an ion exchange treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a water purifier (ion exchange treatment device) 10 for producing pure water by removing impurities such as minerals from tap water, and is used, for example, to suppress the generation of limescale when washing a car. When washing a car, the water purifier 10 is used by connecting a tap-side hose (upstream member) H1 provided on the tap side of the water supply and a nozzle-side hose (downstream member) H2 with a nozzle (not shown) such as a shower head at its tip. The water purifier 10 produces pure water by removing impurities such as minerals from the water (tap water) flowing in from the tap-side hose H1, and discharges the produced water (pure water) from the nozzle-side hose H2.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water purifier 10 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 11 that generates pure water, an inlet connection part 12 to which the faucet-side hose H1 can be connected, and an outlet connection part 13 to which the nozzle-side hose H2 can be connected. Further, the water purifier 10 of the present embodiment includes a branch part 14 provided on the inlet connection part 12 side, a confluence part 15 provided on the outlet connection part 13 side, a bypass flow path 16 extending between the branch part 14 and the confluence part 15, and a flow path switching mechanism 17 provided in the confluence part 15. In the present embodiment, the branch part 14, the confluence part 15, the bypass flow path 16, and the flow path switching mechanism 17 are provided, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the branch part 14, the confluence part 15, the bypass flow path 16, and the flow path switching mechanism 17 may not be provided.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body portion 11 has an internal space 18 capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin. The main body portion 11 of the present embodiment is formed in a shape extending in the vertical direction. The main body portion 11 of the present embodiment has a pedestal portion 19 at the lower end portion, and is supported by the pedestal portion 19 and used in a vertically placed state. The main body portion 11 of the present embodiment has a container portion 20 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens upward and partitions the lower and side portions of the internal space 18, and a lid portion 21 that closes the opening above the container portion 20 and partitions the upper portion of the internal space 18. The lid portion 21 is detachably attached to the container portion 20.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the outlet connection part 13 is provided in the upper part (lid part 21) of the main body part 11, and the inlet connection part 12 is provided in the lower part of the main body part 11. The inlet connection part 12 has an inlet 22 that communicates with the internal space 18 and allows water to flow into the internal space 18. The outlet connection part 13 has an outlet 23 that communicates with the internal space 18 and allows water to flow out of the internal space 18, and extends downward (in the vertical direction in the present embodiment) from the main body part 11 side. Note that the outlet connection part 13 extending downward means that the flow path in the outlet connection part 13 extends downward toward the outlet 23. Further, in the present embodiment, the inlet connection part 12 is provided in the lower part of the main body part 11, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the inlet connection part 12 may be provided in the upper part of the main body part 11.

[0021] The internal space 18 of the main body 11 communicates with the inlet 22 via a flow path. In this embodiment, the flow path from the inlet 22 communicates with the lower end of the internal space 18. The internal space 18 of the main body 11 also communicates with the outlet 23 via another flow path 31. In this embodiment, the flow path 31 is provided inside the lid 21, extends from the upper end of the internal space 18 in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, and communicates with the confluence 15. The outlet side connection 13 extends downward from the confluence 15 side. The main body 11 allows water to flow in from the inlet 22 to the internal space 18 and to flow out from the internal space 18 to the outlet 23 side.

[0022] An ion exchange resin bag 24 filled with ion exchange resin (not shown) is housed in the internal space 18. The ion exchange resin has the property of removing calcium (calcium ions), magnesium (magnesium ions), chloride (chloride ions), etc., dissolved in water. The ion exchange resin is, for example, a mixed resin of a cation exchange resin (cation exchange resin) that exchanges cations (positive ions) and an anion exchange resin (anion exchange resin) that exchanges anions (negative ions). The cation exchange resin takes in cations and releases hydrogen ions, and the anion exchange resin takes in anions and releases hydroxide ions. The released hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions combine to form water. In Figure 2, the inside of the container part 20 of the main body part 11 is shown with solid lines.

[0023] The branching section 14 is provided between the inlet-side connection section 12 and the internal space 18 of the main body section 11. The branching section 14 branches the water from the inlet 22 of the inlet-side connection section 12 to the internal space 18 side or to the bypass channel 16 side, which will be described later. The branching section 14 may be detachable from the main body section 11.

[0024] The junction 15 is provided between the outlet side connection 13 and the internal space 18 of the main body 11. The junction 15 is the point where the flow path 31 from the internal space 18 and the bypass flow path 16, which will be described later, merge. The junction 15 may be detachably attached to the main body 11 from the cover 21.

[0025] The bypass channel 16 is a channel extending between the branching section 14 and the merging section 15, and is capable of bypassing the internal space 18. In this embodiment, the bypass channel 16 is partitioned inside the bypass hose H3 that connects the branching section 14 and the merging section 15. In this embodiment, the bypass channel 16 is partitioned by the bypass hose H3 that connects the branching section 14 and the merging section 15, but this is not the only option. For example, a bypass channel 16 partitioned separately from the internal space 18 may be provided inside the main body 11.

[0026] The flow path switching mechanism 17 is provided at the confluence section 15 and can switch the flow of water to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection section 13. The flow path switching mechanism 17 in this embodiment can switch the flow of water to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection section 13 to the first state, second state, or third state described later.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flow path switching mechanism 17 includes a valve case 25 provided at the confluence section 15, a ball valve 26 (see Figure 3) supported by the valve case 25, and an operating lever 27 that allows the ball valve 26 to be rotated from the outside.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the valve case 25 is the part that supports the ball valve 26 inside, and rotatably supports the ball valve 26 around a predetermined rotation axis CL (dotted line CL in the figures) that extends in the vertical direction. One side (lower side) of the valve case 25 in the axial direction of the rotation axis CL (hereinafter simply referred to as "axial direction") is open and communicates with the flow path from the confluence 15 to the outlet 23. The other side of the valve case 25 in the axial direction is open upward, and the lever connection part 29 of the ball valve 26, which will be described later, is inserted through it. In addition, the first direction of the valve case 25 that intersects the axial direction (the direction from the confluence 15 to the lower right in Figures 4 to 6) is open and communicates with the flow path 31 from the internal space 18. The second direction (the direction from the confluence 15 toward the lower left in Figures 4 to 6), which intersects both the axial direction of the valve case 25 and the first direction described above, is open and communicates with the bypass flow path 16.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the ball valve 26 has a spherical valve body 28 and an axial lever connector 29 that protrudes upward from the valve body 28. The valve body 28 is rotatably supported in the valve case 25 about a rotation axis CL. The lever connector 29 is inserted through the upper opening of the valve case 25 and protrudes to the outside of the valve case 25. The space between the lever connector 29 and the upper opening of the valve case 25 is sealed by a known method. An operating lever 27 is fixed to the tip of the lever connector 29 that protrudes to the outside of the valve case 25.

[0030] The valve body 28 has a lower opening 28a that opens to one side (downward) in the axial direction, a side opening 28b that opens in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and an internal flow path 30 extending between the lower opening 28a and the side opening 28b. In this embodiment, the internal flow path 30 is formed in a substantially L shape. The lower opening 28a is always in communication with the flow path to the outlet 23 side of the outlet side connection part 13, regardless of the rotational position of the ball valve 26. On the other hand, the side opening 28b moves to a position corresponding to the first state, second state, or third state described later, depending on the rotational position of the ball valve 26. In this embodiment, the side opening 28b of the valve body 28 is aligned with the direction in which the tip of the operating lever 27 is pointing.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the first state is one in which the flow of water from the bypass channel 16 (internal channel of bypass hose H3) to the outlet 23 of the outlet side connection 13 is restricted, while the flow of water from the internal space 18 (lid 21 side) to the outlet 23 of the outlet side connection 13 is permitted. As shown in Figure 4, when the operating lever 27 is rotated so that the tip of the operating lever 27 is directed in a predetermined direction (for example, in Figure 4, the internal space 18 side (lid 21 side)), the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 communicates with the channel 31 extending from the internal space 18 side, and the bypass channel 16 is blocked by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26, resulting in the first state. In the first state, pure water that has flowed through the internal space 18 and undergone ion exchange treatment flows from the channel 31 through the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28 and is guided to the outlet side connection 13 side (lower side in the figure). At this time, water from the bypass channel 16 (for example, tap water) is blocked by the valve body 28 and does not flow into the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the second state is one in which the flow of water from the bypass channel 16 to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 is permitted, while the flow of water from the internal space 18 to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 is restricted. As shown in Figure 5, when the operating lever 27 is rotated to point its tip in a predetermined direction (for example, in Figure 5, it is pointed towards the bypass hose H3), the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 communicates with the bypass channel 16, and the channel 31 on the internal space 18 side is blocked by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26, resulting in the second state. In the second state, water from the bypass channel 16 that does not flow through the internal space 18 (for example, tap water) flows through the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28 and is guided to the outlet-side connection 13 side (the lower side in the figure). At this time, pure water from the channel 31 on the internal space 18 side is blocked by the valve body 28 and does not flow into the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, the third state is a state in which both the flow of water from the internal space 18 to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 and the flow of water from the bypass passage 16 to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 are restricted. As shown in Figure 6, when the operating lever 27 is rotated so that its tip is directed in a direction different from both the first and second states (for example, in Figure 6, directed in the opposite direction from the passage 31 on the internal space 18 side), the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 is closed by facing the inner circumferential surface of the valve case 25, resulting in the third state in which both the bypass passage 16 and the passage 31 on the internal space 18 side are blocked by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26. In the third state, both water from the bypass passage 16 (e.g., tap water) and pure water from the passage 31 on the internal space 18 side are blocked by the valve body 28 and do not flow into the internal passage 30 of the valve body 28.

[0034] When using the water purifier 10, the faucet-side hose H1 is connected to the inlet-side connection 12, and the nozzle-side hose H2 is connected to the outlet-side connection 13. Next, the faucet (not shown) is opened to allow water (tap water) to flow into the internal space 18 and bypass flow path 16 of the main body 11, and the flow path switching mechanism 17 is set to the desired state (first state, second state, or third state) for use. At this time, the nozzle-side hose H2 may be directly connected to the outlet-side connection 13, or it may be indirectly connected via peripheral equipment (downstream member) 1 such as a flow meter or a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter without directly connecting the nozzle-side hose H2. That is, the peripheral equipment 1 may be connected to the water purifier 10, and the nozzle-side hose H2 may be connected to the peripheral equipment 1. A TDS meter is a measuring instrument capable of measuring the total amount of inorganic substances dissolved in water. A TDS meter measures the conductivity of the electric current flowing through water by utilizing the property that water containing many inorganic ions conducts electricity easily, while pure water, which does not contain inorganic ions, does not conduct electricity. This conductivity is expressed in ppm, the unit of concentration for electrolytic substances (inorganic salts). Since pure water is almost an insulator, the value measured by a TDS meter will be close to zero. On the other hand, if the water contains many dissolved ions, the value measured by a TDS meter will be high.

[0035] In the pure water purifier 10 configured as described above, the outlet side connection part 13 extends downward from the main body part 11. Therefore, when the nozzle side hose H2 or peripheral equipment 1 (hereinafter referred to as "hose, etc.") is connected to the outlet side connection part 13, the hose, etc. extends vertically along the main body part 11. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the hose, etc. in directions intersecting the vertical direction can be suppressed.

[0036] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an ion exchange treatment unit (pure water unit 10) that can suppress the amount of hoses and the like protruding. This reduces the storage space required when storing the pure water unit 10 with hoses and the like still connected to the outlet side connection part 13 when it is not in use. Furthermore, even when peripheral equipment 1 is used by connecting it to the outlet side connection part 13, the amount of protrusion of peripheral equipment 1 in directions that intersect with the vertical direction can be suppressed, thereby ensuring stability during use.

[0037] In this embodiment, the flow of water to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 can be switched between a first state, a second state, or a third state by the flow path switching mechanism 17, but it is not limited to this. For example, the flow of water to the outlet 23 of the outlet-side connection 13 can be switched to either the first state or the second state, or it can be switched to other states in addition to the first state, the second state, and the third state.

[0038] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it is a flow path switching device 40 used by being attached to a pure water purifier (ion exchange treatment device) 50. In the pure water purifier 50 to which the flow path switching device 40 is attached, components similar to those in the pure water purifier 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0039] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a flow path switching device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, the pure water purifier 50 to which the flow path switching device 40 according to one embodiment of the present invention is to be installed comprises a main body 11 having an internal space 18 capable of accommodating ion exchange resin, an inlet-side connection 52 having an inlet 51 that allows water to flow into the internal space 18, and an outlet-side connection 54 having an outlet 53 that communicates with the internal space 18. In this embodiment, the inlet-side connection 52 and the outlet-side connection 54 protrude from the main body 11 in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the inlet-side connection 52 is provided at the lower part of the main body 11, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the inlet-side connection 52 may be provided at the upper part of the main body 11.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the flow path switching device 40 according to this embodiment is a flow path switching device that can be attached to a pure water purifier 50 and can switch the water sprayed from the nozzle-side hose H2 between pure water and tap water. The flow path switching device 40 comprises an inlet-side branching member 41, an outlet-side branching member 42, and a bypass hose (bypass flow path member) H3.

[0042] The inlet-side branch member 41 has a first connection part 41a that can be connected to the inlet-side connection part 52 of the pure water purifier 50, a second connection part 41b that can be connected to the faucet-side hose (upstream-side member) H1, and a branch part 41c that is positioned between the first connection part 41a and the second connection part 41b. In this embodiment, the inlet-side branch member 41 is formed in a substantially T shape, with a flow path between the first connection part 41a and the second connection part 41b extending in a straight line, and a branch part 41c provided so that a bypass flow path 43, which will be described later, extends from the middle portion of the flow path.

[0043] The outlet-side branching member 42 has a third connection part 42a that can be connected to the outlet-side connection part 54 of the pure water purifier 50, a fourth connection part 42b that can be connected to a nozzle-side hose (downstream member) H2 and peripheral equipment (downstream member) 1, a confluence part 42c positioned between the third connection part 42a and the fourth connection part 42b, and a flow path switching mechanism 44 provided in the confluence part 42c that can switch the flow of water to the fourth connection part 42b. The flow path from the third connection part 42a and the flow path from the fourth connection part 42b merge at approximately right angles to each other at the confluence part 42c. In other words, the outlet-side branching member 42 is formed such that when the third connection part 42a is connected to the outlet-side connection part 54 which extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction of the pure water purifier 50, the fourth connection part 42b faces downward. Furthermore, a bypass channel 43, which will be described later, joins the confluence section 42c from a direction perpendicular to both the channel from the third connection section 42a and the channel from the fourth connection section 42b.

[0044] Bypass hose H3 connects the branch section 41c of the inlet-side branch member 41 and the junction section 42c of the outlet-side branch member 42. Bypass hose H3 is a hose that partitions the bypass flow path 43 inside.

[0045] The flow path switching mechanism 44 is provided at the confluence portion 42c of the outlet-side branch member 42, and can switch the flow of water to the outlet 53 of the outlet-side connection portion 54 to a first state, a second state, or a third state, similar to the first embodiment described above. The flow path switching mechanism 44 includes a valve case 25 of the confluence portion 42c, a ball valve 26 (see Figure 3) arranged inside the valve case 25, and an operating lever 27 that allows the ball valve 26 to be operated from the outside.

[0046] The valve case 25 is the part that supports the ball valve 26 inside, and rotatably supports the ball valve 26 around a predetermined axis of rotation CL. One axial side of the valve case 25 (the lower side in Figure 7) is open and communicates with the flow path from the confluence 42c to the fourth connection 42b. The other axial side of the valve case 25 (the upper side in Figure 7) is open and through which the lever connection 29 of the ball valve 26 (see Figure 3) is inserted. In addition, a first direction (the right side in Figure 7) that intersects the axial direction of the valve case 25 is open and communicates with the flow path on the third connection 42a side. A second direction (the left front in Figure 7) that intersects both the axial direction and the first direction of the valve case 25 is open and communicates with the bypass flow path 43.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the ball valve 26 has a spherical valve body 28 and an axial lever connector 29 protruding from the valve body 28. The valve body 28 is rotatably supported in the valve case 25 about a rotation axis CL. The lever connector 29 is inserted through an upper opening in the valve case 25 and protrudes to the outside of the valve case 25. The space between the lever connector 29 and the upper opening in the valve case 25 is sealed by a known method. An operating lever 27 is fixed to the tip of the lever connector 29 that protrudes to the outside of the valve case 25.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the valve body 28 has a lower opening (first opening) 28a that opens to one side in the axial direction, a side opening (second opening) 28b that opens in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and an internal flow path 30 extending between the lower opening 28a and the side opening 28b. In this embodiment, the internal flow path 30 is formed in a substantially L shape. The lower opening 28a is always in communication with a flow path toward the fourth connection part 42b, regardless of the rotational position of the ball valve 26. On the other hand, the side opening 28b moves to a position corresponding to the first state, second state, or third state, which will be described later, depending on the rotational position of the ball valve 26. In this embodiment, the side opening 28b of the valve body 28 is aligned with the direction in which the tip of the operating lever 27 is pointing.

[0049] The first state is one in which the flow of water from the bypass hose H3 (bypass flow path 43) to the fourth connection part 42b of the outlet-side branch member 42 is restricted, while the flow of water from the third connection part 42a to the fourth connection part 42b is permitted. When the operating lever 27 is rotated to a predetermined direction, the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 communicates with the flow path on the third connection part 42a side, and the bypass flow path 43 is blocked by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26, resulting in the first state. In the first state, pure water that has flowed through the internal space 18 and undergone ion exchange treatment flows through the internal flow path 30 of the valve body 28 via the third connection part 42a and is guided to the fourth connection part 42b side. At this time, water from the bypass flow path 43 (for example, tap water) is blocked by the valve body 28 and does not flow into the internal flow path 30 of the valve body 28. The first state is the state in Figure 4 of the first embodiment described above where the bypass flow path 16 becomes the bypass flow path 43, the flow path 31 becomes the flow path on the third connection part 42a side, and the flow path on the outlet side connection part 13 becomes the flow path on the fourth connection part 42b side.

[0050] The second state is one in which the flow of water from the bypass channel 43 to the fourth connection 42b is permitted, while the flow of water from the third connection 42a to the fourth connection 42b is restricted. When the operating lever 27 is rotated to a predetermined direction, the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 communicates with the bypass channel 43, and the channel on the third connection 42a side is blocked by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26, resulting in the second state. In the second state, water from the bypass channel 43 that does not flow through the internal space 18 (for example, tap water) flows through the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28 and is guided to the fourth connection 42b side. At this time, pure water from the internal space 18 side is blocked by the valve body 28 and does not flow into the internal channel 30 of the valve body 28. The second state is a state in which, in Figure 5 of the first embodiment described above, the bypass flow path 16 becomes the bypass flow path 43, the flow path 31 becomes the flow path on the third connection part 42a side, and the flow path on the outlet side connection part 13 becomes the flow path on the fourth connection part 42b side.

[0051] The third state is a state in which the flow of water from the third connection part 42a to the fourth connection part 42b and the flow of water from the bypass passage 43 to the fourth connection part 42b are both restricted. When the operating lever 27 is turned in a direction different from both the first and second states, the side opening 28b of the ball valve 26 is closed by facing the inner circumferential surface of the valve case 25, and both the bypass passage 43 and the passage on the third connection part 42a side are closed by the valve body 28 of the ball valve 26, resulting in the third state. In the third state, both water from the bypass passage 43 (e.g., tap water) and pure water from the passage on the third connection part 42a side are blocked by the valve body 28 and do not flow into the internal passage 30 of the valve body 28. The third state is a state in Figure 6 of the first embodiment in which the bypass flow path 16 becomes the bypass flow path 43, the flow path 31 becomes the flow path on the third connection part 42a side, and the flow path on the outlet side connection part 13 becomes the flow path on the fourth connection part 42b side.

[0052] When using the flow path switching device 40, the first connection part 41a of the inlet-side branch member 41 is connected to the inlet-side connection part 52 of the pure water purifier 50, and the third connection part 42a of the outlet-side branch member 42 is connected to the outlet-side connection part 54 of the pure water purifier 50. At this time, it is preferable to connect them so that the fourth connection part 42b of the outlet-side branch member 42 faces downwards.

[0053] Next, the faucet-side hose H1 is connected to the second connection part 41b of the inflow-side branch member 41, and the nozzle-side hose H2 is connected to the fourth connection part 42b of the outflow-side branch member 42. Then, the faucet (not shown) is opened to allow water (tap water) to flow into the internal space 18 of the main body 11 and the bypass flow path 43, and the flow path switching mechanism 44 is set to the desired state (first state, second state, or third state) for use. At this time, the nozzle-side hose H2 may be directly connected to the fourth connection part 42b of the outflow-side branch member 42, or it may be indirectly connected via peripheral equipment 1 such as a flow meter or TDS meter without directly connecting the nozzle-side hose H2. That is, the peripheral equipment 1 may be connected to the outflow-side branch member 42 of the flow path switching device 40, and the nozzle-side hose H2 may be connected to the peripheral equipment 1.

[0054] In the flow path switching device 40 configured as described above, when the third connection part 42a of the outlet-side branching member 42 is connected to the outlet-side connection part 54 of the pure water purifier 50, the fourth connection part 42b of the outlet-side branching member 42 is formed to face downward. Therefore, the amount of protrusion in the direction that intersects the vertical direction of the nozzle-side hose H2 and peripheral equipment 1, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "hose, etc.") connected to the fourth connection part 42b can be suppressed.

[0055] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a flow path switching device 40 that can suppress the amount of protrusion of hoses, etc. This reduces the storage space required when storing the flow path switching device 40 and hoses, etc., while they are still connected to the pure water purifier 50 when the pure water purifier 50 is not in use. Furthermore, even when peripheral equipment 1 is connected to the fourth connection part 42b of the flow path switching device 40, the amount of protrusion of peripheral equipment 1 in directions intersecting the vertical direction can be suppressed, thereby ensuring stability during use.

[0056] Furthermore, since the flow path switching device 40 can be attached to the pure water purifier 50, for example, by attaching it to an existing pure water purifier 50 in which the outlet side connection part 54 does not face downwards, the amount of protrusion of hoses, etc., can be easily reduced.

[0057] In this embodiment, since the outlet-side connection portion 54 of the pure water purifier 50 extends in a direction that intersects with the vertical direction, the flow path in the third connection portion 42a and the flow path in the fourth connection portion 42b are joined at approximately right angles to each other at the confluence portion 42c. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the fourth connection portion 42b is formed to face downwards when the third connection portion 42a is connected to the outlet-side connection portion 54.

[0058] The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can naturally be modified as appropriate without departing from the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are, of course, included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: Peripheral equipment (downstream components) 10.50: Pure water purifier (ion exchange treatment device) 11: Main body 12,52: Inlet side connection 13,54: Outlet side connection 14,41c: Branching point 15,42c: Confluence 16,43: Bypass channel 17,44: Flow path switching mechanism 18: Interior space 22,51:Inlet 23,53: Outlet 40: Flow path switching device 41: Inlet-side branch member 41a: First connection section 41b: Second connection section 42: Outlet side branch member 42a: Third connection section 42b: Fourth connection section H1: Faucet-side hose (upstream component) H2: Nozzle-side hose (downstream component) H3: Bypass hose (bypass flow channel component)

Claims

1. A main body having an internal space capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin, It has an inlet that allows water to flow into the internal space, and an inlet-side connection part to which an upstream water member can be connected, It has an outlet that communicates with the internal space, and an outlet-side connection part that extends downward from the main body and to which a downstream water member can be connected. An ion exchange processor characterized by the following features.

2. The outlet side connection portion is provided on the upper part of the main body portion. The ion exchange apparatus according to feature 1.

3. A branching section is provided between the inflow side connection section and the internal space, A confluence portion is provided between the outlet side connection portion and the internal space, A bypass channel extending between the branching section and the merging section, The confluence section is provided with a flow path switching mechanism capable of switching the flow of water to the outlet side connection section, The flow path switching mechanism is switchable between a first state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path to the outlet side connection is restricted and the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet side connection is permitted, and a second state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path to the outlet side connection is permitted and the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet side connection is restricted. The ion exchange apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The flow path switching mechanism can be switched to a third state in addition to the first and second states, which restricts both the flow of water from the internal space to the outlet side connection and the flow of water from the bypass flow path to the outlet side connection. The ion exchange apparatus according to feature 3.

5. A flow path switching device that can be attached to an ion exchange processor, comprising a main body having an internal space capable of accommodating an ion exchange resin, an inlet-side connection part having an inlet that allows water to flow into the internal space, and an outlet-side connection part having an outlet that communicates with the internal space, An inlet-side branch member having a first connection part that can be connected to the inlet-side connection part of the ion exchange processor, a second connection part that can be connected to an upstream water member, and a branch part disposed between the first connection part and the second connection part, An outlet-side branch member having a third connection part connectable to the outlet-side connection part of the ion exchange processor, a fourth connection part connectable to a downstream water member, a confluence part disposed between the third connection part and the fourth connection part, and a flow path switching mechanism provided in the confluence part that can switch the flow of water to the fourth connection part, The system includes a bypass flow channel member that connects the branching portion of the inflow-side branching member and the merging portion of the outflow-side branching member, The flow path switching mechanism is switchable between a first state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path member to the fourth connection is restricted and the flow of water from the third connection to the fourth connection is permitted, and a second state in which the flow of water from the bypass flow path member to the fourth connection is permitted and the flow of water from the third connection to the fourth connection is restricted. The outlet-side branching member is formed such that when the third connection portion is connected to the outlet-side connection portion of the ion exchange processor, the fourth connection portion faces downward. A flow path switching device characterized by the following features.

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