JP3076583B2 - Sterilization method and apparatus for bathtub water purification filter - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sterilizing a purification filter for circulating and purifying hot water (bath water) in a bathtub, and in particular, to home use. It is suitable for application to a bathtub.

 However, in the present invention, water means hot water.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a conventional example of this type of bathtub water purification filter.

Water in the bathtub 1 is sucked and discharged by the circulation pump 2 via the return pipe 5.

The discharged water flows through the purification filter 3, flows into the bathtub 1 via the outward pipe 4, and circulates.

The operation of the circulation pump 2 is performed by the remote controller R
Is performed according to the instruction of the control unit 6.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a water level sensor composed of a pressure gauge, and its output signal is input to the control unit.

When the circulating pump 2 is operated to circulate bathtub water through the purification filter 3, minute foreign substances in the bathtub water are removed.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional example in which a bubble bath nozzle 8 is provided at a connection portion between the forward pipe 4 and the bathtub 1. In this conventional example, when the circulation pump 2 is operated to eject a water-air mixed flow from the bubble bath nozzle 8, the bathtub water flows through the purification filter 3 to remove minute foreign matter.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Even if the bathtub water is circulated through a purification filter to remove minute foreign substances, the bathtub water is not sterilized, so that it is not possible to completely prevent the growth of various bacteria in the bathtub water.

In particular, since organic components serving as nutrients of various bacteria are deposited in the purification filter, various bacteria can easily propagate in the purification filter.

When bacteria grow in the cleaning filter, the useful life of the cleaning filter is shortened.

As shown in FIG. 7, a configuration is known in which a disinfectant is injected into a circulation path of bath water.

9 is a chemical tank, 10 is an on-off valve, and 11 is a chemical nozzle.

However, since the chemical for disinfection is not completely harmless to the human body, expert knowledge is required to determine the amount and timing of injection of the chemical, and this device (FIG. 7) is installed in a home bathtub. Not applicable to.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional example configured to be able to perform backwashing (backwashing) of the cleaning filter 3, and shows an electromagnetic three-way valve 12a,
12b is provided.

When the circulating pump 2 is operated with these three-way solenoid valves 12a and 12b in the state shown in FIG. 8, the discharged water flows as indicated by arrows a, b, c, d and e, and the purification filter 3 flows downward as indicated by arrow c.

When the electromagnetic three-way valves 12a and 12b are switched to the state shown in FIG.
An arrow h flows inside the purification filter 3 by flowing like f, g, h, i, j.
And the cleaning filter 3 is backwashed by the upward flow (backflow) as shown in FIG.

Such backwashing removes most of the foreign substances accumulated in the purification filter 3, but does not disinfect the bacteria that propagated in the purification filter 3, so that the remaining bacteria continue to propagate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and safe method and apparatus which can sterilize various bacteria in a purification filter without using a chemical.

[Means for solving the problem]

The basic principle of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.

That is, hot water of 60 ° C. or more is circulated in the purification filter.

Since the method for sterilizing a bathtub water purification filter according to the present invention relates to bath equipment, it is easy to receive a supply of hot water of 60 ° C. or higher using a bath kettle device or a hot water supply device attached thereto. is there.

Therefore, the present invention can be implemented with simple valve means and pipes without the necessity of separately installing a dedicated heat source device, which is economical. However, when the hot water supply device is supplying water to other than the bathtub, it is dangerous to raise the tapping temperature to 60 ° C. or higher, so that the hot water supply device is not supplying hot water to other appliances. After confirming, raise the tapping temperature.

As a specific configuration based on the above principle, the present invention provides a circulating pump for sucking, discharging and circulating hot water in a bathtub, a control unit for controlling the operation of the circulating pump, and an operation instruction to the control unit. A method and apparatus for sterilizing a bathtub water purification filter having a remote controller that provides a hot water supply line in the middle of a circulation line connecting the circulation pump and the bathtub. A high-temperature water supply pipe is connected to a heat source having a hot water supply function, and after confirming that the heat source having the hot water supply function is not supplying hot water to a bathtub other than the bathtub, the hot water from the heat source is discharged from the heat source. In addition to supplying the gas to the middle of the circulation pipe, the outlet temperature of the heat source device having the hot water supply function is set to 60 ° C. or more in conjunction with the switching of the valve means.

[Action]

According to the above method and apparatus, when the valve means is switched by operating the remote controller, after confirming that the heat source device (for example, a water heater) is not supplying hot water to equipment other than the bathtub, Hot water of 60 ° C. or higher is discharged from the vessel, and the hot water is circulated to a purification filter by a circulation pump.

Thereby, the inside of the purification filter is disinfected with boiling water and sterilized without using a chemical solution.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an apparatus for explaining a first embodiment of the method of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the method of the present invention is applied to the conventional bathtub water purification apparatus shown in FIG.

 An electromagnetic on-off valve 13 is inserted and connected in the middle of the forward pipe 4.

A single-function water heater 15 is connected to a position A closer to the purification filter 3 than the above-mentioned electromagnetic on-off valve 13 via an electromagnetic on-off valve 14.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a remote controller for the water heater 15, which is provided with a manually operated temperature change switch 16a.

A remote controller 17 for operating a control unit for purifying bathtub water is provided.

The purifying switch 17a of the remote controller 17 is
It has a function of controlling the circulating water pump 2 and the electromagnetic on-off valves 13 and 14.

The sterilization switch 17b of the remote controller 17 is
In addition to the function of the purifying switch 17a, it has a function of changing the set tapping temperature of the single-use water heater 15 to 60 ° C. or higher and performing the tapping operation by giving priority to the temperature change switch 16a.

 18 is a hot water tap.

FIG. 1 (A) shows a first embodiment of the method of the present invention using the apparatus configured as described above (FIG. 2).

When the sterilization switch 17b is turned ON in the flow A1, it is confirmed in the flow A2 that the water heater 15 is not in use, and the flow proceeds to the flow A3 to set the set temperature to 60 ° C. or more. this is,
This is because it is dangerous if the tapping temperature becomes 60 ° C. or higher while tapping from the hot water tap 18.

In flow A4, the electromagnetic on-off valve 13 is closed and the valve 14 is opened.

In flow A5, hot water of 60 ° C. or more is discharged from the water heater 15.

The hot water flows as indicated by arrows k, l, and m, sterilizes the inside of the purification filter 3 with hot water, and then flows into the bathtub 1 as indicated by arrows n and p.

As described above, the bathtub water purification filter can be quickly and easily sterilized without using a chemical and using a simple device including the valve means and its control mechanism.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 1 (B).

In this embodiment, a hot water supply device 18 having a function of injecting hot water at a predetermined temperature into the bathtub 1 and filling the hot water, and a function of pouring hot water into the bathtub 18 is provided. (See FIG. 3).

A remote control 19 of the water heater 18 includes a hot water temperature change switch 19a and a hot water temperature change switch 1
9b.

 Other components are the same as or similar to FIG.

When the sterilization switch 17b is turned on as shown in FIG. 1 (B) (flow B1), after confirming that the water heater is not in use in flow B2,
Set the temperature of the water heater 18 on the bathtub side to 60 ° C or higher in flow B3, close the solenoid on-off valve 13 and open 14 in flow B4, and pour hot water of 60 ° C or higher from the bathtub side of the water heater 18 in flow B5. Then, the cleaning filter 3 is sterilized with hot water by flowing along the same path as the arrows k to p shown in FIG.

When the sterilizing switch 17b is turned off (flow B6), the pouring of the water heater 18 is stopped (flow B7), the electromagnetic on-off valve 13 is opened, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 14 is closed (flow B8). Is restored (flow B9).

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a third embodiment using an automatic bath kettle 20 having a reheating function and a hot water supply function.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a remote controller for the automatic bath 20.

This automatic bath kettle 20 is provided with a hot water supply pipe 20a for supplying hot water to the hot water tap 18.
And a return pipe 20c for additional heating and a return pipe 20c for additional heating.

The solenoid on-off valves 13 and 14 are the same or similar components as those in the above-described embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3).

Outgoing pipe 20b for reheating with respect to the circulation line by the circulation pump 2
The solenoid on-off valve 22 is inserted and connected between the connection point B of the additional heating pipe 20c and the connection point C of the return pipe 20c for additional heating.

As shown in FIG. 1 (C), the sterilization switch is used in flow C1.
When 17b is turned ON, after confirming that hot water is not being supplied in flow C2, set the temperature to 60 ° C or higher in flow C3, open solenoid valves 14 and 22 in flow C4, and close solenoid valves 13 and 22 in flow C5. The bath kettle 20 supplies water from the water supply pipe 20d in the flow C6.
Is started, and hot water of 60 ° C. or higher is flowed as indicated by arrows q, r, and s to sterilize the inside of the purification filter 3 with hot water.

 The above hot water flows into the bathtub 1 as indicated by arrows t and u.

In the first to third embodiments described above, sterilization is performed by applying the method of the present invention to the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. Although not shown, the sterilization method of the present invention can be similarly applied to the conventional purification filter device shown in FIGS. 6 and 8.

〔The invention's effect〕

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the inside of a bathtub water purification filter can be sterilized quickly, easily, and safely with a simple device without using a medicine.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (A), 1 (B) and 1 (C) are flowcharts each showing an embodiment of a sterilization method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 are schematic views of the apparatus used in the above embodiment. 5 to 9 are explanatory diagrams of a conventional bathtub water purification device. 1 ... bathtub, 2 ... circulation pump, 3 ... purification filter,
4 ... outgoing pipe, 5 ... return pipe, 7 ... water level sensor, 8 ... bubble bath nozzle, 9 ... chemical liquid tank for disinfection, 12a, 12b ...
Electromagnetic three-way valve, 13,14… Electromagnetic on / off valve, 15… Single function water heater, 16 …… Electromagnetic three-way valve, 17 …… Remote controller, 17a …… Purification switch, 17b …… Sterilization switch, 18…
… Bath kettle with high temperature hot water function and hot water filling function, 19…
... Remote controller, 20 ... Automatic bath kettle with reheating and hot water supply functions, 21 ... Remote controller,
22 …… Electromagnetic on-off valve.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B01D 35/027 B01D 35/18 F24H 9/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bathtub water purification filter is provided in a circulation line for sucking, discharging and circulating hot water in a bathtub, and high-temperature water from a heat source device is provided in the middle of the circulation line via a valve means. A method of connecting a pipe line for supplying the circulating pipe, switching the valve means, distributing the high-temperature water supplied to the circulation pipe through the bathtub water purification filter, and sterilizing the bathtub water purification filter. Before raising the tapping temperature of the heat source unit in conjunction with the switching, it is detected whether or not hot water is being supplied from the heat source unit to another hot water tap, and it is confirmed that the hot water supply unit is not supplying hot water. A method for sterilizing a bathtub water purification filter, characterized in that the temperature is switched to a high temperature. 2. An on-off valve is previously inserted and connected to a portion connecting the hot water supply pipe connection point and the bathtub without passing through a bathtub water purification filter in the circulation pipe, 2. The method for sterilizing a bathtub water purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the hot water is supplied from the heat source while the on-off valve is closed. 3. A bathtub water purification filter is provided in a circulation line for sucking, discharging and circulating hot water in a bathtub, and high-temperature water from a heat source device is provided in the middle of the circulation line via a valve means. In a device for connecting a pipe line for supplying water, switching the valve means, and distributing the high-temperature water supplied to the circulation pipe through the bathtub water purification filter to sterilize the bathtub water purification filter, Before raising the tapping temperature of the heat source unit in conjunction with the switching, it is detected whether or not hot water is being supplied from the heat source unit to another hot water tap, and it is confirmed that the hot water supply unit is not supplying hot water. A sterilizing device for a bathtub water purification filter, comprising means for switching the temperature of the bath to a high temperature.