Header Pipe Supply System for Micro-Bubble Water for Cold Regions

Abstract

To provide a header pipe supply system for microbubble water for cold regions that supplies microbubble water to a tap water header pipe (reference numeral 100 in Fig. 3) while preventing the water in the tap water supply pipe from freezing in cold regions and becoming unusable for a long time. 【Solution means】A water drain device 3 that receives tap water from the main water supply pipe of tap water via a water meter 4 in unfrozen ground at a predetermined distance deep from the ground surface, a microbubble water generator 1 that is installed immediately downstream of the water drain device 3 and that refines the bubbles contained in the tap water, and a header pipe that has a plurality of branch water supply holes that branch the tap water that has passed through the microbubble water generator 1 to a plurality of tap water demand locations in the house via the main tap water supply pipe in the house.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fine bubble water supply system in which bubbles contained in tap water are refined. In particular, during the cold season in cold regions, the water in the tap water supply pipe or the hot water supply pipe (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "water pipe") freezes, causing the water pipe to burst, or the tap water in the water pipe cannot be used for a long time until the frozen state of the tap water is resolved. The present invention relates to a fine bubble water supply system for cold regions to prevent such a situation.

Background Art

[0002] In cold regions or semi-cold regions such as Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shinetsu, and Hokuriku, the temperature drops below freezing during the cold season, causing the water in the water pipe to freeze and the tap water to become unavailable for a long time, or the water pipe to burst due to the freezing of the tap water, or the connection point between the water pipe and the equipment using the tap water to burst.

[0003] Therefore, in cold regions, etc., water supply companies (waterworks bureaus) that supply tap water containing hot water bury the tap water supply pipe more than 1 meter deep underground where the ground does not freeze even in winter, and supply tap water to consumers via a water meter that incorporates a water meter and a stop valve.

[0004] However, as shown in FIG. 14, on the consumer side of the tap water, although the tap water supply pipe from the waterworks bureau on the upstream side of the water meter 4 is buried in the ground at a depth where it does not freeze, the indoor header water supply pipe (reference numeral 100 in FIG. 3, reference numeral 100 in FIG. 14(b)) that distributes tap water to a plurality of indoor water demand locations (washing machines, washbasins, bathtubs, sinks, toilets, etc.) on the downstream side of the water meter 4 and the indoor water pipes distributed therefrom are usually piped outdoors and thus freeze.

[0005] When the water freezes in the water pipe, even if the water pipe does not burst, when the water freezes in a dense state and expands in the water pipe, it takes a long time for the ice to melt by the temperature rise during the day or by warming the water pipe, and the tap water cannot be used during that time.

[0006] Therefore, in order to prevent the water in the water supply pipe from freezing, an outdoor ambient temperature is measured using a temperature sensor, and when the ambient temperature drops below the level at which water freezes, a freezing prevention device is known that warms the water pipe with gas or electricity to prevent freezing (see, for example, "Patent Document 1").

[0007] Also, in cold regions, various types of water drainage devices may be installed to avoid bursting of the water supply pipe or freezing of the tap water in the water supply pipe.

[0008] The simplest example of a water drainage device is to close a stop valve (for example, reference numeral 22 or reference numeral 23 shown in FIG. 15) that stops the water supply from the waterworks at night when the use of tap water ends, so that tap water does not flow into equipment that uses indoor water, etc., and the water accumulated in the indoor water supply pipe under the water pressure supplied from the waterworks in the indoor water supply pipe is drained by opening a faucet connected to a water drainer or various tap water using devices, or the water pressure in the water supply pipe is reduced.

[0009] Thereby, even if the water remaining in the downstream water supply pipes 5, 32a, 32b, 33, 34 from the water meter freezes, the water pressure in the indoor water supply pipe is low, so it is possible to effectively prevent the water supply pipe from bursting or the indoor water supply system from leaking due to freezing of tap water.

[0010] Also, as another example of a water drainage device, there may be a case where water is drained at the end of the water supply pipe that uses tap water after closing a stop valve (reference numeral 22 or reference numeral 23 in FIG. 15) that stops the water supply from the waterworks.

[0011] Furthermore, a device is known that discharges the high-pressure water accumulated in the water supply pipe on the downstream side of the stop valve into the ground or the like after closing the stop valve that stops the water supply from the waterworks.

[0012] By the way, in recent years, fine bubble water containing many bubbles with diameters generally below 100 μm, such as micrometers and nanometers (about 50 to 500 nm in diameter), has been used as shower water and face-washing water and is being utilized for various purposes for beauty and health purposes. Fine bubble water can effectively penetrate human pores and sweat glands and effectively remove dirt.

[0013] In addition, since the molecules constituting water in fine bubble water do not aggregate and bond but are in a loose state, water can finely penetrate between fibers such as clothes, and since it comes into close contact with the surface of tableware, etc., it is also widely used as cleaning water including washing water, tableware washing water, and toilet seat washing water.

[0014] Furthermore, the cleaning effect of fine bubble water due to the electrical action of the fine bubbles contained therein has also attracted attention. That is, the surface of the fine bubbles contained in fine bubble water is usually charged with a negative charge, and fine bubble waters repel each other due to the charge action and have the property of being finely separated, diffused, and floating in water.

[0015] On the other hand, dirt caused by oil, sebum, fine foreign substances, etc. is often positively charged and is electrically bonded to the object to be cleaned that is negatively charged. As a result, when fine bubbles with a negative charge adsorb to the positively charged dirt, they are electrically neutralized, and the dirt is easily separated from the object to be cleaned. Then, the dirt that has been electrically neutralized and separated from the object to be cleaned is adsorbed on the gas-liquid interface of the fine bubbles and floats to the water surface by the buoyancy of the bubbles, so that it is known that the dirt removed from the object to be cleaned is not reattached to the object to be cleaned in the fine bubble water and is cleaned.

[0016] As an example of such a fine bubble water generator, there is known a fine bubble water generator having a first nozzle on the inlet side for water flow, which has a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area perpendicular to its central axis from the inlet of running tap water toward the outlet, a second nozzle on the outlet side for water flow, which is continuously arranged via a communication path provided in communication with the outlet of the first nozzle and has a gradually increasing cross-sectional area perpendicular to its central axis from the inlet toward the outlet, and a gap or side chamber that opens only in the communication path (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0017]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0018] However, installing a fine bubble water generator such as that shown in Patent Document 2 for each device such as a shower or a washing machine that uses tap water in the home would result in a considerably high installation cost.

[0019] Also, even if a fine bubble water generator is installed in all or part of the devices that use tap water in cold regions, etc., during the cold season, not only the tap water supply pipe in the home but also the water staying in the fine bubble water generator having a nozzle with a narrow water flow path inside is frozen and expanded at a high water pressure state, and the fine bubble water generator having a delicate internal structure is often damaged.

[0020] For this reason, an object of the present invention is to provide a header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions that supplies fine bubble water to a tap water header pipe (reference numeral 100 in FIG. 3) while preventing the situation where the water in the tap water supply pipe freezes and cannot be used for a long time during the cold season in cold regions.

[0021] The present invention further aims to generate micro-bubbly water at the source of the tap water supply system and supply it to the tap water header pipe (reference numeral 100 in FIG. 3) without attaching a micro-bubbly water generator to each of the devices that use tap water, such as shower heads, washing machines, bathtubs, sinks, toilets, etc., used indoors in cold regions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0022] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a water drainage device that receives tap water supply from a main water supply pipe of tap water via a water meter in unfrozen ground at a predetermined distance deep from the ground surface, a micro-bubbly water generator installed immediately downstream of the water drainage device that generates micro-bubbly water by refining the bubbles contained in the tap water passing through the water drainage device, and a header pipe that branches and supplies the micro-bubbly water to a plurality of tap water demand locations. The water drainage device has a stop valve that blocks the inflow of tap water from the water meter, a water drainage surface that discharges the water between the stop valve and the header pipe into the ground when the stop valve blocks the inflow of tap water, and is disposed in unfrozen ground, and a lever device for manually operating the stop valve is disposed above the ground. configured as The header pipe is composed of a first adapter and a second adapter formed of a metal pipe of brass or stainless steel material. The first adapter the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble water generator has a water supply hole for supplying water to the water heater side and the second adapter side to do and provides a header pipe supply system for micro-bubbly water for cold regions, which is characterized in that.

[0023] And The fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble water generator is the plurality of tap water demand locations to are connected by a hose formed of a flexible material supply and .

[0024] Here, the first example of the micro-bubbly water generator is , micro a fine-bubbly water generating nozzle having 0. The micro-bubble water generator nozzle has a first water passage with a diameter gradually decreasing along the flowing direction of tap water, a second water passage provided in communication with the outlet side of the first water passage and having a diameter gradually increasing along the flowing direction of tap water, a throttle portion connecting the first water passage and the second water passage, and a water intake plate provided at the inlet portion of the first water passage and having a plurality of water intake holes.

[0025] 4. And a second example of the micro-bubble water generator includes a cylindrical body and , the a water inlet surface body formed in a concentric circle shape at a predetermined distance from the central axis of the cylindrical body and having a plurality of branch holes, and a water outlet surface body having a plurality of branch holes for discharging tap water from the cylindrical body. An uneven portion formed by a spiral cut is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body between the water inlet surface body and the water outlet surface body. The water flowing in from the plurality of branch holes of the water inlet surface body contacts and collides with the spiral uneven portion to generate a turbulent flow in the cylindrical body, and the bubbles in the tap water are finely pulverized so that fine bubble water flows out from the water outlet surface body. for allowing tap water to flow in 8. is characterized in that for 10. The inner wall of the cylindrical body between the water inlet surface body and the water outlet surface body is formed with uneven portions by spiral cuts. The water flowing into the cylindrical body from the plurality of branch holes of the water inlet surface body contacts and collides with the spiral uneven portions to generate a turbulent flow in the cylindrical body, and the bubbles in the tap water are finely pulverized so that fine bubble water flows out from the water outlet surface body.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] 17. In the header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to the present invention, a fine bubble water generator for refining the bubbles contained in the tap water passing through the water drain device is installed immediately downstream of the water drain device that receives the supply of tap water from the main water supply pipe for tap water via a water meter in the unfrozen ground at a predetermined distance deep from the ground surface to the ground. When the water drain operation is performed by stopping the use of tap water at night or the like, including the fine bubble water generator, the water in the indoor water supply pipe is discharged. Therefore, since the water in the water pipe has drained out, the tap water does not freeze. Even if some water remains in a part of the indoor water pipe, since the water pressure has decreased due to the above-mentioned water drain, the water pipe and the fine bubble water generator are not damaged, and it does not take a long time until the ice frozen in the water pipe melts.

[0027] In addition, in the header pipe supply system for microbubble water for cold regions according to the present invention, it is possible to supply microbubble water without attaching a microbubble water generator to each of the devices that use tap water, such as a shower head, washing machine, bathtub, sink, toilet, etc. that use tap water in a house.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0029] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the tap water receiving location leading to the tap water header pipe (reference numeral 100 in Fig. 3) in the header pipe supply system for microbubble water for cold regions (this system) according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows an example of the connection state of the stop valve device 2 and the microbubble water generator 1 constituting this system.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tap water supplied from the waterworks via the water meter 4 installed deep in the ground so that the tap water does not freeze even in winter flows into the microbubble water generator 1 via the underground water drainage device 3, and the microbubble water generator 1 generates microbubble water (microbubble water, microbubble water) containing many microbubbles. This microbubble water is supplied to the header water supply pipe (reference numeral 100 in Fig. 3) that intensively distributes tap water to tap water using appliances such as indoor shower heads and tap water using devices such as washing machines by the indoor water supply pipe 5.

[0031] The water drainage device 3 is provided with a stop valve (not shown) inside the water drainage device 3 without closing the stop valve (reference numeral 22 or 23 in Fig. 15) connected to the upstream side of the tap water supply pipe from the waterworks. And the stop valve inside this water drainage device 3 is interlocked with the lever 2A (see Fig. 2) of the lever device 2 connected to the water drainage device 3 and coming out to the ground. By, for example, tilting the lever 2A upward, the water is stopped, and by tilting the lever 2A downward, the tap water from the tap water supply pipe flows into the indoor drain pipe.

[0032] The stop valve in the underground water drainage device 3 and the drain plug (not shown) for opening and closing the drain surface 3A provided on the lower surface of the water drainage device 3 are mechanically interlocked with the lever device 2 on the ground. By the water stop operation (operation of tilting downward) by the lever 2A, the stop valve in the water drainage device 3 part closes, and at the same time, the water accumulated in the microbubble water generator 1 and the indoor water supply pipe 5 provided on the upstream side of the drain plug from the drain surface 3A is drained into the ground.

[0033] Therefore, the lever 2A provided on the ground lever device 2 is connected to the underground water drain device 3 and a connecting rod (reference numeral 2C in Fig. 2) in the connecting pipe 2B. By the water shut-off operation of the lever 2A, a plug that closes the water flow between the tap water supply pipe shown in Fig. 3 and the water drain device 3 is closed. At the same time, water is discharged from the water drain surface 3A provided on the lower surface of the water drain device 3 into the ground.

[0034] In this way, when the use of tap water is finished, the user operates the lever 2A provided on the above-ground part of the water drain device 3 to close the underground stopcock, prevent water from flowing into the water drain device 3 from the tap water supply pipe, and discharge water from the water drain surface 3A provided on the lower surface of the water drain device 3 into the ground.

[0035] As a result, the water pressure in the indoor water supply pipe is low, and even if the residual water in the secondary water pipe freezes, the indoor water pipe will not burst.

[0036] And the next morning, when using water, operate the lever 2A of the lever device 2 to open the stopcock of the underground water drain device 3 so as to receive tap water supply from the tap water supply pipe into the room. When receiving tap water supply from the tap water supply pipe into the room, the water drain surface 3A provided on the lower surface of the water drain device 3 is closed.

[0037] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a tap water supply system example in a general house to which the header pipe supply system of microbubble water according to the present invention is applied.

[0038] Before explaining the header pipe supply system of microbubble water according to the present invention shown in Fig. 3, as a comparison, a system example of a conventional tap water supply pipe will be explained.

[0039] Fig. 15 shows a tap water supply system example in a conventional general house. As shown in Fig. 15, for example, tap water supplied from the waterworks of a local government passes through a water distribution plug 20 that distributes water from the main tap water supply pipe and a water distribution pipe 21 that has been distributed, and then passes through a first stopcock 22, an auxiliary stopcock 23, and a water meter (a meter for the amount of water used) 24 and is supplied into the house.

[0040] In Fig. 15, the tap water supplied into the house through the water meter 24 is often supplied to a part of the water heater 25 through the branch pipe 32a in the house. The tap water (cold water) that has passed through the branch pipe 32a is branched and piped to the toilet (for toilet flushing water and toilet seat water) 26, washing machine 27, kitchen sink 28, bath and shower 29, washbasin 30, outdoor watering faucet 31, etc., which are the places where tap water is used in the house, and is used at each of these places.

[0041] Also, the hot water heated by gas or electricity in the water heater 25 is branched and piped to, for example, the toilet (for warm water washing toilet seat) 26, kitchen sink 28, bath and shower 29, washbasin 30, etc. through a hot water supply pipe system 34 that is a different system from the cold water supply pipe system 33 that branches the tap water (cold water), and is used at each of these places.

[0042] Here, the cold water supply pipe system 33 and the hot water supply pipe system 34 that branch the tap water (cold water) are usually piped under the floor (including underground) or inside the wall of the house.

[0043] In recent years, the demand for installing a micro-bubble water generator that miniaturizes the air contained in tap water to the level of micro-size or nano-size, etc., at the places where tap water or hot water is used, such as the toilet (for toilet flushing water and warm water washing toilet seat) 26, washing machine 27, kitchen sink 28, bath and shower 29, washbasin 30, etc., has increased dramatically.

[0044] Micro-bubble water means water that contains a lot of air with a diameter of generally 100 μm or less, such as micrometers or nanometers (about 50 to 500 nm in diameter), in tap water (cold water) or hot water. Since the micro-bubble water that is smaller than pores can penetrate into pores and sweat glands and effectively remove dirt, it is particularly used for various purposes for beauty and health purposes as shower water and face washing water.

[0045] Also, such micro-bubble water can effectively penetrate into the fine gaps of fibers such as clothes, and since it makes close contact with the surfaces of fibers, tableware, skin, etc., in recent years, it has also been widely used as washing water for washing water, warm water washing toilet seats, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, recently, many products equipped with a fine bubble water generator have been seen in the water receiving port inside the washing machine and in the shower head, and they have come to be particularly widely used in recent years.

[0047] Such a fine bubble water generator that generates water containing many bubbles with a diameter in the micrometer or nanometer size range in tap water (cold water) or warm water has conventionally been installed for each place where tap water is used (such as showers, washing machines, warm water wash toilets, etc.).

[0048] The present invention has been made in view of the necessity of the fine bubble water generator provided as needed at the end of each place where tap water is used in the above-described conventional tap water supply system in general houses, and can be easily attached near the root of the main supply pipe of cold water or / and warm water in a water supply system such as a house. Thus, the present invention provides a header pipe supply system for fine bubble water that generates all the tap water cold water and warm water supplied in the house into fine bubble water and supplies it.

[0049] As a first embodiment of the header pipe supply system for fine bubble water according to the present invention, a configuration will be described in which only cold water is generated into fine bubble water and supplied to the tap water usage locations in the house.

[0050] In this first embodiment, it is composed of a (cold water) water pipe connection unit 100 connected via a water meter 24 through a main tap water pipe that receives the supply of tap water, a second adapter 11a that constitutes this water pipe connection unit 100 (shown in FIG. 3), and a fine bubble water generation unit (13a to 13e shown in FIG. 4) connected to this second adapter 11a.

[0051] Next, as the second embodiment, cold water (tap water) and hot water (in the present application, it means "hot water supplied from the outside such as a water heater installed in a house or a district hot water supply system") are separately generated into microbubble water and microbubble hot water (in the present application, they are collectively referred to simply as "microbubble water") for each of cold water and hot water, and then the configuration of supplying water to water usage locations in a house such as a shower or a washing machine will be described.

[0052] In this second embodiment, in addition to the above-described cold water tap water pipe connection unit 100 (Figs. 3 and 4) connected via the water meter 24, the hot water tap water pipe connection unit 101 (Fig. 3), the second adapter unit (simply referred to as the "second adapter" in the present application) 11a that constitutes the cold water tap water pipe connection unit 100, and the microbubble water generation unit (13a to 13e shown in Fig. 4) connected to this second adapter 11a, further, the second adapter 11b (simply referred to as the "second adapter" in the present application. Note that since this second adapter 11b has the same configuration as the second adapter 11a shown in Fig. 4, it is not shown) that constitutes the hot water tap water pipe connection unit 101 (Fig. 3), and the microbubble water generation unit (corresponding to 13a to 13e shown in Fig. 4 and having the same configuration, so it is not shown) connected to this second adapter 11b, are included.

[0053] As described above, for a house that uses only cold water and does not use hot water (that is, a house or facility without a water heater) or when one deliberately wants to generate and use only cold water as microbubble water, the above-described first embodiment is adopted. For most general houses and the like, when one wants to generate and use not only cold water but also hot water supplied from a water heater or the like as microbubble water, the above-described second embodiment is adopted.

[0054] Hereinafter, mainly due to the above reasons, the second embodiment of using cold water and hot water as microbubble water will be described.

[0055] Fig. 3 shows an example of a header pipe supply system for microbubble water according to the above-described second embodiment of the present invention in which cold water and hot water are respectively used as microbubble water.

[0056] In FIG. 3, the first adapter 11a that constitutes the cold water water pipe connection unit 100 connected via the water meter 24 is connected to the fine bubble water generation units 13a to 13e shown in FIG. 4, and the second adapter 11b that constitutes the hot water water pipe connection unit 101 is connected to those (shown in FIG. 4) that are equivalent or identical to the fine bubble water generation units 13a to 13e.

[0057] Here, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, the water pipe connection unit 100 has, on the upstream side that receives the supply of tap water (cold water), the first adapter 10 shown in FIG. 4 that also serves as a tap water branching means, or the first adapter 10 having the tap water branching means shown in FIG. 5(a).

[0058] In the first adapter 10 shown in FIG. 4, tap water flows in from the left side of FIG. 4, and the first adapter 10 branches into water supplied to the water heater side and water supplied to (cold water) tap water usage locations such as washing machines and toilets.

[0059] Still, as shown in FIG. 5, tap water may flow into the first adapter 10 from the left side of FIG. 5(a), and the first adapter 10 having the branching means may branch into water supplied to the water heater side and water supplied to (cold water) tap water usage locations such as washing machines and toilets.

[0060] Naturally, the first adapter 10 and the second adapter 11a that is disposed on the downstream side of the first adapter 10 and has one end joined to the water pipe on the tap water demand side are connected (FIG. 4) or joined (FIG. 5) at the water pipe joint via, for example, an annular packing or the like (not shown) that prevents water leakage.

[0061] The connection between the first adapter 10 and the second adapter 11a, that is, the joining (connection) of the water pipe unit, may be connected via a hose as shown in FIG. 4, for example, or, as shown in FIG. 5, the first adapter 10 shown in FIG. 5(a) and the second adapter 11a shown in FIG. 5(b) may be directly screwed and connected without passing through a hose.

[0062] The threaded connection between the water supply pipe and the first adapter 10 and / or the second adapter 11a uses a coupling nut to fix the joint. For example, at both ends of the cut water pipe, there are respectively female threads formed for screwing with the first adapter 10 and / or the second adapter 11a. The male thread on the other side is such that the shorter male thread is screwed fully with the water pipe joint by cutting the female thread longer. By adjusting and reducing the length of the longer female thread to the length that screws with the water pipe joint, the first adapter 10 and the second adapter 11a that make up the header pipe of this water pipe are adjusted to fit between the water pipes.

[0063] In this way, for threaded connection, since it is necessary to thread one of the pipes to be threaded with male threads and the other pipe with female threads, there is no problem when installing this microbubble water header pipe supply system, for example, during the construction of a new house. However, when introducing this microbubble water header pipe supply system into an existing house, there may be cases where a wide range of floor and wall materials need to be peeled off. In such cases, for example, it is also possible to use a detachable connection member as shown in Fig. 6. Such detachable joint members for water pipes and water hoses are widely known as water supply joints that can be one-touch joint-connected to the faucet of tap water for the hose of a washing machine. Since they are known not only to those skilled in the art but also generally, the mechanism of such joints will not be described here.

[0064] Also, in this header pipe supply system, as described above, the microbubble water generators 12, 13a - 13e are respectively connected or joined to the tap water outlets of the first adapter 10 and the second adapters 11a, 11b. However, whether it is a threaded connection where one pipe is threaded with male threads and the other pipe is threaded with female threads, such as the joint between the first adapter 10 and the second adapters 11a, 11b, or a detachable joint connection as described above, it may be acceptable.

[0065] Thus, the water inlet sides (the 52A side shown in Fig. 7) of the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e are connected to the tap water outlets of the first adapter 10 and the second adapters 11a and 11b. However, as shown in Fig. 4, the water outlet sides (the 52B side shown in Fig. 7) of the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e are respectively connected to hoses for guiding water to the tap water (cold water and / or hot water) usage locations such as water heaters, kitchens (sinks), bathrooms, washrooms, toilets, washing machines, etc.

[0066] In addition, in this system, since the first adapter 10 and the second adapters 11a and 11b are excellent in durability and water leakage prevention performance, they are formed of metal pipes made of brass or stainless steel materials. The branched water supply holes of the first adapter 10 and the second adapters 11a and 11b and the water inlet sides of the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e are preferably connected by screwing means as described above so as to be firm and prevent water leakage. However, a detachable connection to the hoses for guiding water to the tap water (cold water and / or hot water) usage locations such as water heaters, kitchens (sinks), bathrooms, washrooms, toilets, washing machines, etc. may be used for the water outlet sides of the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e.

[0067] Also, the hoses 14 from the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e are preferably hoses formed of a flexible material for individually supplying to each tap water demand location. The reason is that the installation work from the microbubble water generators 12 and 13a - 13e to each tap water demand location is easy, and further, even if vibrations or distortions occur in the tap water supply path or the like due to an earthquake or the like, the hose 14 is flexible and thus has high durability.

[0068] Here, the hose 14 of the flexible material used in this system is preferably a hose 14 formed of, for example, a polypden material or a cross-linked polyethylene material. It has been confirmed by the experiments and tests of the inventor of the present application that it is excellent not only in flexibility but also in waterproofness and durability compared with materials such as vinyl chloride materials.

[0069] Next, the fine bubble generators 12, 13a - 13e (the first example) used in the header pipe supply system for cold regions of the fine bubble water according to the present invention will be described based on the descriptions in FIGS. 7 to 11. Note that the present invention is not limited to the type of generator used in this header pipe supply system.

[0070] FIG. 7 shows a side sectional view of the first examples 12, 13a - 13e of the fine bubble generators used in the header pipe supply system of the present fine bubble water, which is arranged in the middle of the water supply pipe 2 that guides water from a water distribution pipe of a water supply or an elevated water tank to a faucet.

[0071] Note that the first example of the fine bubble generator used in this system is shown in FIGS. 7 to 11 below. However, the fine bubble generator used in this system is not limited to this. Here, if the fine bubble generator used in this system can be configured to be small and compact, it can also be housed in the water drain device 3. The second example of the fine bubble generator used in this system is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and will be described later.

[0072] The fine bubble generators 12, 13a - 13e (the first example) shown in FIG. 7 are configured by arranging a cylindrical nozzle 56 in a cylindrical body 53. The cylindrical body 53 is composed of a first cylindrical portion 54 and a second cylindrical portion 55 with different cross-sectional diameters. The first cylindrical portion 54 with the smaller diameter has a male screw portion 54a on its outer periphery and is inserted into the upstream pipe portion 52A of the water supply pipe 52 and connected by screwing.

[0073] The second cylindrical portion 55 with the larger diameter has a female screw portion 55a on its inner periphery and is connected by screwing to the tip of the downstream pipe portion 52B of the inserted water supply pipe 52. An annular rubber packing 57 is fitted on the outer periphery of the first cylindrical portion 54. When the first cylindrical portion 54 is inserted into the water supply pipe 52, the annular end face of the upstream pipe portion 52A contacts the end face of the second cylindrical portion 55 with the rubber packing 57 intervening therebetween.

[0074] The outer diameter of the nozzle 56 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 54, and a part of the nozzle 56 is held in the cylindrical body 53 while being inserted into the first cylindrical portion 54. Inside the nozzle 56, a water passage portion 58 having a shape that tapers from both the left and right ends toward the central portion is provided. That is, the water passage portion 58 has a neck portion 59 with the smallest cross-sectional diameter formed at its central portion, and has a structure that is roughly conically hollowed out so that the diameter increases as it extends to the left and right from the neck portion 59.

[0075] Therefore, the water passage portion 58 is composed of a first water passage 58a whose diameter gradually decreases along the direction in which tap water flows, and a second water passage 58b that is provided in communication with the outlet side of the first water passage 58a and whose diameter gradually increases along the direction in which tap water flows.

[0076] It is preferable that the maximum diameter of the first water passage 58a on the inlet side of the nozzle 56 is larger than the maximum diameter of the second water passage 58b on the outlet side, but they may have the same dimensions or, conversely, the inlet may be narrower.

[0077] The water intake portion 60 is composed of a circular thick plate, is inside the cylindrical body 53, and is arranged on the inlet side of the first water passage 58a of the nozzle 56. In the water intake portion 60 of this example, as shown in FIG. 8, four circular water intake holes 61 that penetrate axially at equal intervals on the plane are bored in a circular shape. The number of water intake holes 61 can be provided up to about eight according to the flow rate of the tap water pipe or the like to be installed. Therefore, when the number of water intake holes 61 increases, it is preferable to arrange them uniformly on the plane of the water intake portion 60 rather than arranging them at equal intervals in a circular shape.

[0078] FIG. 8 shows the fine bubble water generator (first example) shown in FIG. 7. Part (a) shows an external perspective view from the upstream side, and part (b) shows an external perspective view from the downstream side.

[0079] FIG. 9 shows, for the water intake portion of the fine bubble water generator shown in FIG. 7, a plan view from the upstream side in (a), a side view in (b), and a plan view from the downstream side in (c), respectively.

[0080] As shown in the side view of FIG. 9(b), the water intake holes 61 are provided such that the central axis in the depth direction is inclined with respect to the axis of the water supply pipe 62. Therefore, since each water intake hole 61 has the shape of an oblique cylinder, the tap water passing through the water intake hole 61 is discharged in a direction inclined from the axis of the water intake portion 60, and a twist is added to the tap water flow from the upstream pipe portion 52A, resulting in a swirling flow and being discharged from the water intake portion 60. Note that in FIG. 9(b), only one of the water intake holes 61 is shown representatively.

[0081] At this time, each water intake hole 61 is provided with an inclination such that, as shown in FIG. 9(c), the tap water is discharged toward the adjacent water intake hole 61 while forming a swirling flow in the counterclockwise direction. Therefore, the tap water passing through each water intake portion 60 forms a swirling flow twisted in the same direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 11(a) and is introduced into the first water passage 58a of the nozzle 56.

[0082] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9(b), by making the inner wall surface of the water intake hole 61 into an uneven surface 61a, the tap water is discharged from the water intake hole 61 while increasing the turbulence intensity. In this example, as shown in FIG. 9(b), a large number of protrusions are provided to form the uneven surface 61a. By improving the turbulence intensity in this way, the dissolved air in the tap water becomes easier to extract, and cavitation bubbles can be effectively generated in the nozzle 56.

[0083] The tap water discharged as a swirling flow from each water intake hole 61 hits the inner wall of the first water passage 58a obliquely, so as shown in FIG. 10, it advances toward the neck portion 59 while swirling in a spiral shape. And since the first water passage 58a has a constricted structure in which the water path gradually narrows, the speed increases as it approaches the neck portion 59 and is discharged from the neck portion 59 to the second water passage 58b.

[0084] The tap water whose flow velocity has been increased in this way is blown out from the neck portion 59 at high pressure and diffused in the second water passage 58b. As a result, a rapid pressure drop occurs, and innumerable fine cavitation bubbles are generated in the tap water due to the boiling phenomenon and are discharged to the downstream pipe portion 52B. Generally, the supply water pressure of tap water supplied from the waterworks to ordinary households is 1.5 kgf / cm2 From 3 kgf / cm 2 (0.15 MPa to 0.3) is set as the lower limit, and the nozzle 56 makes the air contained in the tap water into fine bubble water containing an extremely large number of bubbles refined by cavitation only with this tap water pressure. The ideal tap water pressure in this case is 2.0 to 4.0 kgf / cm 2 (0.2 to 0.39 MPa).

[0085] In the above embodiment, the maximum diameter of the first water passage 58a is made larger than the maximum diameter of the second water passage 58b, but it may be configured in a shape symmetric about the neck portion 59 with the same diameter. Also, the horizontal dimensions from the neck portion 59 to the respective maximum diameter portions may be different. In short, in relation to the pressure of the tap water blown out from the first water passage 58a and the pressure reduced by diffusion in the second water passage 58b, as long as appropriate amounts and cavitation bubbles of the quality as fine bubbles can be generated.

[0086] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the shape of the water intake hole 61 may be configured to have a shape with a bent portion in the middle instead of an oblique cylinder from the inlet side to the outlet side. Thereby, since the flow of the tap water passing through the water intake hole 61 is twisted, the degree of turbulent flow is further increased in combination with the uneven surface 61a on the inner wall of the water intake hole 61, and the generation effect of cavitation bubbles in the nozzle 56 can be improved.

[0087] The fine bubble water generators 12, 13a - 13e (first example) shown in Fig. 7 are directly connected to the tap water supplied to ordinary households, and the air contained in the tap water is micro - bubbled by the cavitation effect only by the pressure of the tap water. And these fine bubble water generators 12, 13a - 13e are arranged on the downstream side of the water meter, and the piping distance from these fine bubble water generators 12, 13a - 13e to a washing machine or the like that uses the fine bubble water is about 15 meters on average. In this case, since it is impossible to visually observe the micro - bubbles, the inventor of the present application irradiated the water to be treated with a laser by a laser pointer in a dark place and detected the reflected light from the bubbles, and confirmed that micro - bubbles were formed even at the end of the 20 - meter - long pipe.

[0088] To generate micro - bubbles more efficiently, a plurality of nozzles 56 may be arranged in series inside the cylindrical portion in such a way that the first water passage 58a of the rear - stage nozzle 56 is connected to the second water passage 58b of the front - stage nozzle 56, so as to repeat the cavitation generation.

[0089] Note that the fine bubble water generator (first example) used in the header pipe supply system for fine bubble water according to the present invention is not limited to the fine bubble water generator described above (shown in Figs. 7 to 11).

[0090] Also, the fine bubble water generator used in the header pipe supply system for fine bubble water according to the present invention can be integrally configured with the water drain device 3 as long as it can be configured to be small and compact. Thereby, it becomes possible to install this system at low cost and in a short construction period.

[0091] Figure 12 shows a fine bubble water generator (second example) used in the header pipe supply system. Part (a) shows the second internal configuration of the fine bubble water generator (second example) used in the header pipe supply system. Part (b) shows the side surface of the water inlet body and the side surface of the water outlet body. The holes (four in the example shown in Figure 12) of the water inlet body and the holes (four in the example shown in Figure 12) of the water outlet body are provided to coincide in the flowing water direction. And part (c) shows a perspective view of the A-A' cross-section of the fine bubble water generator (second example) used in the header pipe supply system shown in (b). A spiral cut is made on the inner surface of the cylindrical body.

[0092] As shown in Figure 12(a), the fine bubble water generator (second example) 73 used in the header pipe supply system includes a cylindrical body 73-1 arranged to be in close contact with the inner wall of the indoor water supply pipe (shown in Figure 2), and a water inlet body 73-2 having (four in the example shown in Figure 12) branch holes 76 (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4) formed concentrically at a predetermined distance (a size corresponding to the diameter size of the cylindrical body 73-1) from the central axis of the cylindrical body 73-1, and a water outlet body 73-3 having (four in the example shown in Figure 12) branch holes 77 (77-1, 77-2, 77-3, 77-4) for the tap water flowing out in the cylindrical body 73-1.

[0093] Here, with the cylindrical body 73-1 inserted into the inner body surface, the fine bubble water generator (second example) 73 used in the header pipe supply system is fixed to the inner wall of the indoor water supply pipe (Figure 2), and on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 73-1 between the water inlet body 73-2 and the water outlet body 73-3, uneven portions 73-4 are formed by spiral cuts.

[0094] Then, the water flowing in from the (four in the example shown in Figure 12) branch holes 76 of the water inlet body 73-2 contacts and collides with the spiral uneven portions 73-4 to generate a turbulent flow in the cylindrical body 73-1, and the bubbles in the tap water are efficiently pulverized into fine particles so that fine bubble water flows out from the water outlet body 73-3.

[0095] Thus, the fine bubble water generator 73 used in this header pipe supply system has a small and lightweight shape formed on the inner wall of the indoor water supply pipe (Figure 2) of the cylindrical body 73-1 (incorporating 73-2 and 73-3), and can effectively generate the same number of nano-sized fine bubbles as the conventional fine bubble water generator.

[0096] Figure 13 shows the second configuration of the fine bubble water generator 73 (second example) used in this header pipe supply system. (a) shows the second configuration of the fine bubble water generator (second example) used in this header pipe supply system, and (b) shows the side surface of the water inlet body and the side surface of the water outlet body. Here, in this second example, different from the first example shown above, the holes 7 (77-1, 77-2, 77-3, 77-4) of the water outlet body 3-3 (four in the example shown in Figure 13) are provided with the holes 76 (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4) of the water inlet body 73-2 (four in the example shown in Figure 13) rotated by about 90 degrees in the water flow direction. Also, (c) is the same as the first example shown above, but shows the B-B' cross-section of the fine bubble water generator shown in (b). A spiral cut 73-4 is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical body 73-1.

[0097] Thus, in the second internal configuration of the fine bubble water generator (second example) shown in Figure 13, the (four in the example shown in Figure 13) branch holes 76 provided in the water inlet body 3-2 and the (four in the example shown in Figure 13) branch holes 77 provided in the water outlet body 73-3 have their central axes inclined by 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of the water intake plate. Therefore, the water passing through the (four in the example shown in Figure 13) holes 76 of the water inlet body 73-2 forms a swirling water flow instead of a straight water flow between the water inlet hole 76 and the water outlet hole in the cylindrical body 73-1. As a result, more water flow collides with the spiral cut of the cylindrical body 73-1, and fine bubble water can be generated with higher efficiency.

[0098] Incidentally, the water inlet body and the water outlet body are formed of a brass material, a resin material, or a stainless steel material having a thickness of at least 5 millimeters or more. Further, the cylindrical body is formed of a brass material, a stainless steel material, or a resin material.

[0099] Furthermore, on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 73-1 between the water inlet body 73-2 and the water outlet body 73-3, uneven portions 73-4 are formed by spiral cuts. Water flowing in from the branch holes 76 (four in the example shown in FIG. 13) of the water inlet body 73-2 contacts and collides with the spiral uneven portions 73-4, causing turbulent flow of water within the cylindrical body 73-1, thereby enabling fine pulverization of the bubbles in the tap water to generate high-performance fine bubble water.

[0100] FIG. 16 shows an example of the state in which the water meter 4 used in a cold region is installed deep underground. Part (a) shows an example of installation at the bottom of the water meter housing part 4b in the shape of a manhole 4b, and part (b) shows an example of an electronic water meter (smart water meter) 4 that allows a water utility company to remotely detect the amount of water used.

[0101] FIG. 16(a) shows the state in which the water meter 4 is installed deep underground in a cold region. In a cold region, since the water pipe from the waterworks freezes during the cold period, the water meter 4 is often installed about 1.2 meters deep from the ground surface. This is because the temperature below 1 meter from the ground surface does not drop below 0 degrees Celsius, the freezing temperature of water, even during the cold period.

[0102] In this case, since the meter value indicating the amount of water used shown by the water meter 4 cannot be read, a handle 4a is attached to the upper part of the water meter 4. With the manhole cover 4c open, a waterworks employee hooks the handle 4a with a hook rod or the like from the ground and pulls up the water meter 4 near the ground surface to read the water meter. For this reason, long flexible water pipes are connected in a toroidal shape to the water pipes on the upstream side and the downstream side of the water meter.

[0103] On the other hand, in recent years, as shown in Fig. 16(b), an electronic water meter (smart meter) 4 has come to be used, enabling the water utility company to remotely detect the amount of water used. In this case, a large manhole 4b, 4c as shown in Fig. 16(a) is not required for the water meter. However, since the electronic water meter 4 also freezes during the cold season, it is still necessary to install the electronic water meter 4 deep underground.

[0104] As described above, in the header pipe supply system for cold regions of the present microbubble water, a water drain device 3 and a microbubble water generator 1 for refining the bubbles contained in the tap water passing through the water drain device 3 are arranged on the downstream side of the water meter 4. Thus, when the water drain operation is performed by stopping the use of tap water at night or the like, the water in the indoor water supply pipe including the microbubble water generator 1 is discharged, and the water in the water pipe is drained, so that the tap water does not freeze. For example, even if water remains in a part of the indoor water pipe, since the water pressure has decreased due to the water drain, the water pipe or the microbubble water generator 1 will not be damaged, and it will not take a long time until the ice frozen in the water pipe melts.

[0105] In addition, in the header pipe supply system for cold regions of the present microbubble water, it is possible to supply microbubble water without attaching a microbubble water generator to each device that uses tap water, such as a shower head, washing machine, bathtub, sink, toilet, etc. that use tap water in the house.

Explanation of Signs

[0106] 1 Microbubble water generator 2 Lever device for water drain 2A Lever for water drain 2B Connecting pipe between the lever device 2 and the water drain device 3 2C Connecting rod 3 Water drain device 3A Water drain surface in the water drain device 3 4 Water meter 4a Manhole cover 4b Manhole 5 Water supply pipe to the water supply pipe header 100 (for cold water) Water pipe connection unit 101 (for hot water) Water pipe connection unit 10 The first adapter constituting the water pipe connection unit 11a, 11b The second adapter constituting the water pipe connection unit 12, 13a - 13e Microbubble generator (first example) 58a The first water passage of the microbubble generator 58b The second water passage of the microbubble generator 60 Water intake part of the microbubble generator 61 Water intake hole of the microbubble generator 61a Concave - convex surface of the microbubble generator 73 Microbubble generator (second example) 73 - 1 Cylindrical body constituting the microbubble generator 73 - 2 Water intake surface body constituting the microbubble generator 73 - 3 Water outlet surface body constituting the microbubble generator 73 - 4 Spiral concave - convex part formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body

Claims

1. A water drainage device that receives tap water supply from the main water supply pipe via a water meter in the unfrozen ground at a predetermined distance deep from the ground surface, A fine bubble water generator installed immediately downstream of the water drainage device, which generates fine bubble water in which the bubbles contained in the tap water passing through the water drainage device are refined, A header pipe that branches and supplies the fine bubble water to a plurality of tap water demand locations, Comprising, The water drainage device is configured such that a stop valve that shuts off the inflow of tap water from the water meter and a water drainage surface that discharges the water between the stop valve and the header pipe into the ground when the stop valve shuts off the inflow of tap water are arranged in the unfrozen ground, and a lever device for manually operating the stop valve is arranged on the ground surface. The header pipe is composed of a first adapter and a second adapter formed of a metal pipe made of brass or stainless steel. The first adapter has a water supply hole for supplying the fine bubble water generated in the fine bubble water generator to the hot water supply side and the second adapter side. The second adapter has a plurality of branch water supply holes for branching the fine bubble water to the plurality of tap water demand locations. A header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions, characterized by this.

2. Another fine bubble water generator for refining the bubbles contained in the fine bubble water supplied via the header pipe is connected to each of the water supply hole of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to Claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The fine bubble water generated in the fine bubble water generator is supplied to the plurality of tap water demand locations by a hose formed of a flexible material. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by this.

4. The fine bubble water generator installed immediately downstream of the water drainage device has a fine bubble water generation nozzle. The fine bubble water generation nozzle A first water passage whose diameter gradually decreases along the direction of the flow of tap water, A second water passage provided in communication with the outlet side of the first water passage and having a diameter that gradually increases along the direction of the flow of tap water, A throttle portion connecting the first water passage and the second water passage, A water intake plate provided with a plurality of water intake holes provided at the inlet portion of the first water passage. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to Claim 3, characterized by this.

5. The plurality of branch holes constituting the fine bubble water generator disposed in each of the water supply holes of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter are such that the central axis from the water inlet side to the water outlet side is inclined with respect to the central axis of the water inlet surface body. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to claim 4.

6. The fine bubble water generator disposed in each of the water supply hole of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter is a cylindrical body, a water inlet surface body having a plurality of branch holes for allowing tap water to flow in, formed concentrically at a predetermined distance from the central axis of the cylindrical body, a water outlet surface body having a plurality of branch holes for allowing tap water to flow out from the cylindrical body, constituted by on the inner wall of the cylindrical body between the water inlet surface body and the water outlet surface body, uneven portions are formed by spiral cuts, the water flowing in from the plurality of branch holes of the water inlet surface body contacts and collides with the spiral uneven portions to generate a turbulent flow in the cylindrical body, and the bubbles in the tap water are finely pulverized so that fine bubble water flows out from the water outlet surface body. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to claim 2, characterized in that.

7. The plurality of branch holes constituting the fine bubble water generator disposed in each of the water supply hole of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter are provided circularly and at equal intervals at a position a predetermined distance away from the central axis of the water inlet surface body. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to claim 6.

8. On the inner surface of the plurality of branch holes constituting the fine bubble water generator disposed in each of the water supply hole of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter, an uneven surface for generating a turbulent flow is formed. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to claim 5.

9. The plurality of branch holes constituting the fine bubble water generator disposed in each of the water supply hole of the first adapter and the plurality of branch water supply holes of the second adapter are bent from the water inlet side to the water outlet side. The header pipe supply system for fine bubble water for cold regions according to claim 8.

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