JP5065348B2 - Microbubble generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fine bubble generating device that generates fine bubbles in hot water or the like in a bathtub.

  For example, a fine bubble generating device is known in which air is dissolved in hot water taken out from a bathtub while hot water in the bathtub is circulated by a pump, and oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved is sent into the bathtub. In the oxygen-dissolved water ejected into the bath, dissolved oxygen precipitates with a reduced pressure, and fine bubbles are generated. The fine bubbles cloud the hot water in the bathtub, give it a taste like a milk bath, and have a moisturizing effect on the skin.

  The present applicant has also made many proposals and actually provided a fine bubble generating apparatus for generating fine bubbles so far. For example, the following Patent Document 1 proposes a fine bubble generation bathtub device in which an oxygen enrichment device that generates high oxygen concentration air is combined with a fine bubble generation device.

  In this fine bubble generating bath apparatus, an air supply path for supplying high oxygen concentration air from an oxygen enricher is branched into two branch paths, one of which communicates with the fine bubble generator, and the other one. Is in communication with the air intake of the bathroom or jet bath device.

  The above-mentioned microbubble generation bathtub device can supply high oxygen concentration air from the oxygen enrichment device into the bathroom in addition to the microbubble generation device, and raises the oxygen concentration in the bathroom to facilitate lung respiration. And allow comfortable bathing. Also, hot water containing air bubbles with high oxygen concentration can be ejected from the jet bath apparatus, and the high oxygen concentration air hits the vicinity of the bather's face, and the same effect as described above is achieved.

JP-A-2005-324001

Incidentally, the fine bubble generator bathtub apparatus micro bubble generating device provided in described in Patent Document 1, but to generate fine bubbles, in general, the oxygen of the oxygen dissolved in water is easy to vaporize the higher dissolved oxygen concentration, especially Since fine bubbles have a large specific surface area, it is difficult to maintain a high dissolved oxygen concentration. In order to bring the effects of bathing such as the above-mentioned skin moisturizing effect, it is necessary to keep the dissolved oxygen concentration in the bath higher than a certain level, and it is necessary to suppress the decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration in hot water. Required for generator.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and provides a microbubble generator that can suppress an excessive decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration in oxygen-dissolved water due to the generation of microbubbles. It is an issue.

  The present invention has the following features in order to solve the above problems.

The first aspect of the present invention is a microbubble generator for generating fine bubbles by precipitating oxygen from oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved in water, and generating fine bubbles by rapidly reducing the pressure of oxygen-dissolved water, Equipped with a fine bubble discharge part that discharges water containing fine bubbles and an oxygen dissolved water discharge part that discharges oxygen dissolved water by gradually reducing the pressure of oxygen dissolved water, and the oxygen dissolved water discharge part discharges fine bubbles It is characterized by being arranged on the outer periphery of the part .

According to a second invention, in the feature of the first invention, a discharge unit is provided, and the discharge unit includes both the fine bubble discharge unit and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit. A bubble discharge portion is disposed in the center, the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion is disposed on the outer periphery of the fine bubble discharge portion, and the flow path of the fine bubble discharge portion is in the length direction of the discharge unit on the inlet side. The diameter of the pipe gradually increases in the middle between the inlet and the outlet, and extends straight in the length direction of the discharge unit again on the outlet side. The tube diameter is reduced while being curved, and the reduced tube diameter is gradually enlarged in the middle between the inlet and the outlet, and the outlet of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion is moved away from the outlet of the fine bubble discharge portion. , The inlet of the flow path of the serial fine bubble discharging portion, the edge portion bluff substantially right angle, in the entrance of the flow path of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion, is characterized in that the edge portion is gently curved.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the fine bubble generating device generates a fine bubble by rapidly reducing the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water, and discharges water containing the fine bubble, and the oxygen-dissolved water. It is possible to divide it into a flow path for generating fine bubbles and a flow path for oxygen-dissolved water that does not contain fine bubbles. it can. For this reason, the excessive fall of the dissolved oxygen concentration in oxygen dissolved water accompanying generation | occurrence | production of a fine bubble can be suppressed, and supply of a fine bubble and supply of oxygen dissolved water can be made compatible.

Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, since the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion is disposed on the outer periphery of the fine bubble discharge portion, the fine bubble discharge portion is discharged when discharging water containing fine bubbles and oxygen-dissolved water together. Thus, it is difficult to mix oxygen-dissolved water, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygen-dissolved water discharged from the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion. According to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the fine pore bubble discharging unit and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit may be configured as a discharge unit having these together.

It is the block diagram which showed 1st Embodiment of the microbubble generator of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed 2nd Embodiment of the microbubble generator of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed 3rd Embodiment of the microbubble generator of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the discharge unit in the microbubble generator shown in FIG. It is the schematic diagram which showed the change of the flow velocity distribution by the shape of a flow path.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the microbubble generator of the present invention.

  The microbubble generator 1 shown as the first embodiment is arranged in parallel with a bathtub 2, takes out hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 to the outside of the bathtub 2, and draws air into the hot water 3 in the dissolution tank 4. Oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved is generated, and this oxygen-dissolved water is sent to the bathtub 2 to supply the fine bubbles 5 into the hot water 3.

  The fine bubble generating device 1 includes a pump 6 that circulates the hot water 3 that takes the hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 out of the bathtub 2 and then returns the hot water 3 to the bathtub 2. The fine bubble generating device 1 includes a circulation path 7 for hot water 3. The pump 6 is disposed in the middle of the circulation path 7.

  The circulation path 7 is formed by the pipes 8, 9, and 10, and can be provided on the suction side of the pump 6 and the side wall of the bathtub 2, and the suction port 11 for taking out the hot water 3 to the outside of the bathtub 2 Are connected by a pipe 8. The discharge side of the pump 6 is connected to the dissolution tank 4 by a pipe 9. The dissolution tank 4 is connected by a bathtub 2 and a pipe 10. The downstream end of the pipe 10 communicates with the first injection port 12 disposed on the side wall portion different from the side wall portion where the suction port 11 is disposed in the bathtub 2.

  Further, the circulation path 7 branches in the downstream pipe 10, and the branch path 13 is arranged in the fine bubble generating device 1. The branch path 13 is formed by a pipe 14, the upstream end of the pipe 14 is connected to the middle of the pipe 10, and the downstream end is a first injection on the side wall portion of the bathtub 2 in which the first injection port 12 is provided. It communicates with the second injection port 15 arranged at a position different from the port 12.

  The fine bubble generating device 1 also includes a fine bubble discharge unit 16 and an oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17. The fine bubble discharger 16 is connected to the downstream end of the pipe 14 that forms the branch path 13, is disposed on the side wall of the bathtub 2, and communicates with the second injection port 15. The oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17 is connected to the downstream end of the pipe 10 that forms the downstream side of the circulation path 7, is disposed on the side wall of the bathtub 2, and communicates with the first injection port 12.

  The fine bubble discharge part 16 generates fine bubbles by rapidly lowering the pressure of oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved, which is generated by dissolving air in hot water 3 under pressure in the dissolution tank 4. Water containing fine bubbles is discharged into the bathtub 2 through the second injection port 15. The oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17 gradually decreases the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water generated in the dissolution tank 4 and discharges oxygen-dissolved water containing almost no fine bubbles into the bathtub 2 through the first injection port 12. Is.

  In the fine bubble discharge unit 16 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, it is possible to control whether or not the fine bubbles are generated by differentiating the flow velocity distribution of the oxygen-dissolved water. That is, in the fine bubble discharge unit 16, the flow rate distribution of oxygen-dissolved water is increased to a pressure distribution equal to or lower than the saturated water vapor pressure, and oxygen is precipitated from the oxygen-dissolved water when the oxygen-dissolved water flows, thereby generating fine bubbles. Let On the other hand, in the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, the flow rate distribution of the oxygen-dissolved water is made low or uniform so as to be larger than the saturated water vapor pressure, thereby suppressing the generation of fine bubbles. Such fine bubble discharge unit 16 and oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17 can be configured as a nozzle unit, for example, and the flow velocity distribution can be adjusted by the diameter of the flow path of the nozzle unit.

  The above microbubble generator 1 operates as follows.

  For example, when the pump 6 is driven by a switch operation or the like in the bathroom, the hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 is sucked from the suction port 11, and the hot water 3 is jetted and supplied to the dissolution tank 4 through the pipe 8, the pump 6 and the pipe 9. The At this time, the hot water 3 entrains the air stored in the upper part of the dissolution tank 4 and is mixed with the air, and the air dissolves in the hot water 3 to generate oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved.

  An ejector or the like can be connected to the microbubble generator 1 in the middle of the circulation path 7 leading to the dissolution tank 4, that is, in the middle of one of the pipes 8 and 9. In this case, air in the bathroom can be sucked using the negative pressure generated along with the circulation of the hot water 3, mixed with the hot water 3, and supplied to the dissolution tank 4 as a gas-liquid mixed fluid.

  In this way, the air stored in the dissolution tank 4 and the air in the bathroom sucked by the ejector or the like are dissolved in the hot water 3, and the dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygen-dissolved water becomes sufficiently high.

  Part of the generated oxygen-dissolved water flows into the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17 through the pipe 10. In the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, since the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water gradually decreases, the dissolved oxygen hardly precipitates and the generation of fine bubbles is suppressed. As a result, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygen-dissolved water is kept sufficiently high, and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17 discharges oxygen-dissolved water having a high dissolved oxygen concentration toward the bathtub 2 through the first injection port 12.

  Another part of the oxygen-dissolved water flows into the fine bubble discharge section 16 through the pipe 14 that forms the branch path 13. Since the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water rapidly decreases in the fine bubble discharge unit 16, cavitation occurs, and oxygen in the oxygen-dissolved water precipitates to generate the fine bubbles 5. Hot water containing the fine bubbles 5 is discharged from the fine bubble discharge portion 16 into the bathtub 2 through the second injection port 15. As the fine bubbles are generated, the hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 becomes cloudy and exhibits a taste like hot spring water.

  Thus, since the fine bubble generating apparatus 1 includes the fine bubble discharge unit 16 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, the flow path (corresponding to the branch path 13) in which the fine bubbles 5 are generated and the fine bubbles are not included. It is divided into an oxygen-dissolved water flow path (corresponding to the circulation path 7). Therefore, while the fine bubbles 5 can be supplied into the bathtub 2, the oxygen-dissolved water itself can be supplied from the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, and dissolved oxygen in the oxygen-dissolved water accompanying the generation of the fine bubbles 5. An excessive decrease in density can be suppressed. The fine bubble generating device 1 can simultaneously supply the fine bubbles 5 and the oxygen-dissolved water. The dissolved oxygen concentration in the hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 is kept high, and the bather can enjoy not only the fine bubbles 5 but also the effect of the oxygen-dissolved water itself.

The fine bubble generating device 1 can be combined with the oxygen enrichment device described in Patent Document 1 above, and air of high oxygen concentration can be supplied to the bather to further enhance the efficacy of bathing.
(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the microbubble generator of the present invention.

  2, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted below.

  In the microbubble generator 1 shown as the second embodiment, switching is performed as a switching means to the branching portion 18 where the branching path 13 branches from the circulation path 7, that is, the connection part where the upstream end of the pipe 14 is connected to the pipe 10. A valve 19 is provided, and the path of oxygen-dissolved water generated in the dissolution tank 4 can be switched by the switching valve 19. The oxygen-dissolved water path is switched to the branch path 13 or the circulation path 7 by the switching valve 19, and when flowing through the branch path 13, the oxygen-dissolved water is discharged from the micro-bubble discharge section 16, so the micro-bubble 5 And fine bubbles 5 are supplied into the bathtub 2. When circulating through the circulation path 7, the oxygen-dissolved water is discharged from the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 17, so that the fine bubbles 5 are hardly generated, and the oxygen-dissolved water having a sufficiently high dissolved oxygen concentration is in the bathtub 2. Supplied.

  Thus, in the fine bubble generating apparatus 1, the supply of the fine bubbles 5 and the oxygen-dissolved water into the bathtub 2 can be switched, and only one of them can be supplied. The bather can select and enjoy the effects of the fine bubbles 5 and the oxygen-dissolved water. When supplying the fine bubbles 5 into the bathtub 2, the heat retention effect of the bather is enhanced, and when supplying oxygen-dissolved water into the bathtub 2, the moisture retention effect of the bather tends to be enhanced.

  The switching valve 19 is switched by an appropriate method, for example, by attaching a motor 20 and automatically performing the operation according to an electric signal accompanying the input of the operation switch, or by attaching a switching lever to enable manual operation. It can be carried out.

The switching valve 19 adjusts the flow rate of the oxygen-dissolved water flowing through the branch path 13 and the circulation path 7, distributes the oxygen-dissolved water through both the branch path 13 and the circulation path 7, and the flow rates of the paths 13, 7. It is also possible to control by relatively changing. In this case, a function substantially equivalent to the fine bubble generating device 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be realized.
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the fine bubble generator of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a discharge unit in the fine bubble generator shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given to the portions common to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the description thereof will be omitted below.

  In the fine bubble generator 1 shown as the third embodiment, the discharge unit 22 is connected to the downstream end of the pipe 10 that is located downstream of the circulation path 7 and connects the dissolution tank 4 and the bathtub 2. In the bathtub 2, it is arrange | positioned in the side wall part different from the side wall part in which the inlet 11 was arrange | positioned. A third injection port 21 is provided on the side wall of the bathtub 2 where the discharge unit 22 is provided, and the discharge unit 22 communicates with the third injection port 21.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a discharge unit in the fine bubble generating apparatus shown in FIG.

  The discharge unit 22 includes a fine bubble discharge unit 23 and an oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24. The fine bubble discharge unit 23 is disposed at the center of the discharge unit 22, and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24 is a fine bubble discharge unit 23. It is arrange | positioned at the outer periphery. The fine bubble discharge part 23 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge part 24 together form the oxygen-dissolved water flow paths 25, 26. The flow path 25 of the fine bubble discharge part 23 is connected to the discharge unit 22 on the inlet 27 side. It extends straight along the length. In addition, the flow path 25 of the fine bubble discharge portion 23 has a pipe diameter that gradually increases in the middle between the inlet 27 and the outlet 28, and extends straight in the length direction of the discharge unit 22 again on the outlet 28 side. On the other hand, the flow path 26 of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24 is curved on the inlet 29 side while the tube diameter is reduced, and the reduced tube diameter is gradually enlarged in the middle between the inlet 29 and the outlet 30, and the outlet 30. Is disposed away from the outlet 28 of the fine bubble discharge part 23 and is arranged near the outer peripheral edge of the discharge unit 22.

  Further, the flow paths 25 and 26 of the fine bubble discharge portion 23 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion 24 are different in the shapes of the inlets 27 and 29. The inlet 27 of the flow path 25 of the fine bubble discharge part 23 has an edge part 27a standing at a substantially right angle, but the inlet 29 of the flow path 26 of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge part 24 has a gently curved edge part 29a, It is formed in an R shape. Due to the difference in the shapes of the inlets 27 and 29, the fine bubbles 5 are generated in the oxygen-dissolved water flowing into the flow path of the fine bubble discharge section 23, and the oxygen flowing into the flow path 26 of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge section 24. The microbubbles 5 are hardly generated in the dissolved water.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing changes in the flow velocity distribution depending on the shape of the flow path.

The behavior of the oxygen-dissolved water flowing into the small pipe diameter part 32 from the large pipe diameter part 31 varies depending on the shape of the inlet 33 of the small pipe diameter part 32. When the edge portion 33a of the inlet 33 is steep at a substantially right angle, the flow velocity v _a of the dissolved oxygen water flowing an outer peripheral portion of the small tube diameter 32 is very fast, the pressure is the saturated water vapor pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water due to this It drops rapidly below. As a result, cavitation occurs in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion p of the small tube diameter portion 32 where the flow velocity distribution has a peak, and fine bubbles 5 are generated.

On the other hand, the edge portion 33b of the inlet 33 is gently curved, if it is formed in R shape, the flow velocity V _b of the oxygen-dissolved water is slow compared to the flow velocity v _a of the oxygen-dissolved water, the flow velocity distribution pipe Uniform in the radial direction or maximized at the center of the small tube diameter portion 32. For this reason, the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water is higher than the saturated water vapor pressure, and gradually decreases as it flows through the small pipe diameter portion 32 in the length direction, and cavitation hardly occurs.

  Based on such experimental knowledge, the fine bubble discharge portion 23 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion 24 of the discharge unit 22 shown in FIG. 4 are formed. Of the oxygen-dissolved water flowing into the inlet 22a of the discharge unit 22, the fine bubbles 5 are generated in the oxygen-dissolved water flowing into the flow path 25 of the fine bubble discharge section 23, and the fine bubble discharge section 23 The contained water is discharged from the outlet 28 of the flow path 25. The fine bubbles 5 are hardly generated in the oxygen-dissolved water flowing into the flow path 26 of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge section 24. Discharge from the outlet 30.

  As described above, the discharge unit 22 includes both the fine bubble discharge unit 23 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24, and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24 is disposed on the outer periphery of the fine bubble discharge unit 23. 5 is divided into a flow path 25 for generating oxygen and a flow path 26 for oxygen-dissolved water not containing fine bubbles. When high-concentration oxygen-dissolved water comes into contact with bubbles, oxygen is vaporized in the bubbles, which causes a decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration of the oxygen-dissolved water. Then, oxygen-dissolved water that is easy to diffuse is discharged outward, and the fine bubbles 5 that have a large flow resistance and are difficult to diffuse can be discharged from the fine-bubble discharge portion 23 to the central portion. The dissolved water is less likely to be mixed, and the decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygen-dissolved water discharged from the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the discharge unit 22 includes both the fine bubble discharge unit 23 and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24, the fine bubble 5 can be supplied into the bathtub 2, while the oxygen-dissolved water discharge unit 24 The oxygen-dissolved water itself can be supplied, and an excessive decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygen-dissolved water accompanying the generation of the fine bubbles 5 can be suppressed. The fine bubble generating device 1 can simultaneously supply the fine bubbles 5 and the oxygen-dissolved water. The dissolved oxygen concentration in the hot water 3 in the bathtub 2 is kept high, and the bather can enjoy not only the fine bubbles 5 but also the effect of the oxygen-dissolved water itself.

  The microbubble generator 1 of the third embodiment can also be combined with the oxygen enrichment device described in Patent Document 1 above, so that high oxygen concentration air is supplied to the bather to further increase the efficacy of bathing and the like. Can be increased.

  The fine bubble generator of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modes are possible for the configuration of the dissolution tank, pump, etc., including the fine bubble discharge section and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge section. Moreover, the object which can install a microbubble generator is not limited to a bathtub, It can be set as the various apparatuses etc. for which supply of both a microbubble and oxygen dissolved water is required.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fine bubble generator 5 Fine bubble 16, 23 Fine bubble discharge part 17, 24 Oxygen dissolved water discharge part 19 Switching valve

Claims (2)

In a microbubble generator that generates fine bubbles by precipitating oxygen from oxygen-dissolved water in which oxygen is dissolved in water, water containing fine bubbles is generated by rapidly reducing the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water And an oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion that discharges oxygen-dissolved water by gradually reducing the pressure of the oxygen-dissolved water , and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion is disposed on the outer periphery of the fine-bubble discharge portion. A microbubble generator characterized by comprising: A discharge unit is provided, and the discharge unit includes both the fine bubble discharge portion and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion. In the discharge unit, the fine bubble discharge portion is disposed at the center, and the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion The portion is disposed on the outer periphery of the fine bubble discharge portion, and the flow path of the fine bubble discharge portion extends straight along the length direction of the discharge unit on the inlet side, and a tube in the middle between the inlet and the outlet The diameter is gradually enlarged and extends straight in the length direction of the discharge unit again on the outlet side, and the flow path of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion is curved on the inlet side while the pipe diameter is reduced, and the reduced pipe diameter Is gradually enlarged in the middle between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge part is away from the outlet of the fine bubble discharge part, and at the inlet of the flow path of the fine bubble discharge part, an edge part Bluff substantially at right angles, at the entrance of the flow path of the oxygen-dissolved water discharge portion, fine bubble generator according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge portion is gently curved.

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