JP7562116B2 - Water Purifiers and Filters - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a water purification device that uses electrolysis, and a filter suitable for use in the water purification device.

It is known that scale-causing substances such as calcium and magnesium contained in circulating water such as tap water, groundwater, and industrial water used in cooling towers, chillers, boilers, etc. in factories and office buildings cause scale to adhere to and accumulate on pipes, resulting in clogging of the pipes, corrosion, machine troubles, etc. To prevent the adhesion and accumulation of such scale, a water purification technology has long been known in which the circulating water is electrolyzed by passing an electric current through electrodes immersed in the circulating water, thereby removing the scale-causing substances. This water purification technology using electrolysis is an environmentally friendly technology that does not require the use of chemicals, and has been reevaluated in recent years, and improvements to the technology are also being made. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is the latest example.

However, in the water purification device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the electrolytic cell where electrolysis takes place and the scale cell below it where scale accumulates are integrated into a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped water tank, which requires space in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the distance between the electrodes and the accumulated scale is short. Ions such as Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), etc. become carbonated through an electrochemical reaction and become scale, which peels off from the electrodes and accumulates at the bottom of the water tank, but some of them constantly re-ionize through re-dissolution. When the re-ionized Ca, Mg, etc. reach the electrodes, they are carbonated again through an electrochemical reaction, which increases the load on the electrodes. For this reason, it is desirable to set the scale cell where scale accumulates deep below the electrolytic cell.

However, in the water purification device of Patent Document 1, in which the electrolytic cell and the scale tank are integrated into a rectangular parallelepiped water tank, if the scale tank is made deeper, the water tank becomes longer vertically while remaining wide horizontally. In other words, there is a problem in that a large space is required to install the water purification device.

Patent No. 6243822

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a water purification device that does not require an excessively large installation area even if the scale tank is set deep, and further aims to provide a filter that is suitable for use in the water purification device.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a water purification device for purifying water to be purified, comprising an electrolytic cell and a scale cell. The electrolytic cell has a first tubular container used in a vertical position. The scale cell has a second tubular container used in a vertical position, and the upper end of the second tubular container is connected to the lower end of the first tubular container so that the internal space of the second tubular container communicates with the internal space of the first tubular container. The electrolytic cell further has a plurality of electrode bodies, a plurality of conductors, and a first water inlet. The plurality of electrode bodies are arranged in the internal space of the first tubular container at a distance from each other. The plurality of conductors support the plurality of electrode bodies and are for applying a voltage to the plurality of electrode bodies from the outside of the first tubular container during use. The first water inlet communicates with the internal space of the first tubular container, and the water to be purified flows in. At least one of the electrolytic cell and the scale cell has a first water outlet that communicates with the internal space of the first or second tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows out. The scale cell further includes an outlet for discharging scale and an outlet valve for discharging scale. The outlet for discharging scale communicates with the internal space of the second tubular container and opens at the lower end of the second tubular container. The outlet valve for discharging scale opens and closes a flow path that communicates with the drain outlet.

According to this configuration, the water to be purified is supplied to the water purification device from the first water inlet, and the same amount of water to be purified is taken out from the first water outlet, so that a constant amount of water to be purified can be maintained in the internal space of the first and second tubular containers. By connecting a power source to the multiple conductors and applying a voltage to the multiple electrode bodies, electrolysis is caused in the water to be purified in the first tubular container, and the scale-causing substances in the water to be purified can be adsorbed and accumulated on the electrode body that has become the negative electrode by reversing the polarity of the applied voltage, and the accumulated scale can be peeled off from the original negative electrode body that has been reversed to the positive electrode, and the scale-causing substances can be adsorbed and accumulated on the electrode body that has become the new negative electrode. In this way, the water to be purified is purified by the electrolytic cell, and the purified water to be purified can be taken out from the first water outlet.

The peeled off scale falls through the water and accumulates at the lower end of the second tubular container, where an outlet is formed. When a certain amount of scale has accumulated, the scale can be discharged outside the water purification device together with the water to be purified in the first and second tubular containers by opening the drain valve.

In addition, since the electrolytic cell and the scale cell hold the water to be purified in the first and second tubular containers arranged vertically in series, the volume required to hold the water to be purified can be secured by making these tubular containers as long as necessary in the vertical direction. In other words, the volume required to hold the water to be purified can be secured without requiring an excessively large area in the horizontal direction, i.e., in the direction parallel to the floor or ground, to install the water purification device. In particular, by making the second tubular container long in the vertical direction, the scale accumulated in the scale cell can be held at a position far below the electrode body without requiring an excessively large area to install the device.

This configuration can be used for purifying water while circulating it, for example by supplying the cooling water stored in a water tank of a cooling tower and used for cooling in a circulatory manner to an electrolytic cell, and returning the purified water to the water tank. Note that in this disclosure, for the sake of convenience, the water after it has been purified will also be referred to as "water to be purified."

A second aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the first aspect, wherein the first tubular container and the second tubular container are detachably connected to each other.
According to this configuration, if the scale accumulated in the second tubular container contains pieces too large to pass through the discharge outlet, the first tubular container and the second tubular container can be separated, and the accumulated scale can be broken down into small pieces by poking the upper end of the second tubular container with, for example, a stick, and then the scale can be discharged.

A third aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first water inlet opens into a side wall of the first tubular container, the electrolytic cell further has a lid that covers an upper end of the first tubular container, and the plurality of conductors pass through the lid and are supported by the lid.
With this configuration, the power supply that applies a voltage to the multiple electrode bodies can be placed on the cover body, thereby making it possible to shorten the multiple electric wires that electrically connect the power supply and the multiple conductors.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the water purifier according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first water inlet opens at an upper end of the first tubular container, and the plurality of conductors penetrate a side wall of the first tubular container and are supported by the side wall of the first tubular container.
With this configuration, the multiple electrode bodies are supported so as to be placed in the internal space of the first tubular container, while the water to be purified can be supplied to the water purification device from the upper end of the first tubular container.

The fifth aspect of the present invention is a water purification device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a filtration tank for filtering the water to be purified supplied to the first water inlet. The filtration tank includes a third tubular container used in a vertical position, a filter disposed in the internal space of the third tubular container, a filter support for supporting the filter, a second water inlet communicating with the internal space of the third tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows in, and a second water outlet communicating with the internal space of the third tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows out. The filter is supported so that the water to be purified flowing in from the second water inlet passes through the filter, and the water to be purified that has passed through the filter flows out to the second water outlet. Furthermore, the water purification device further includes a flow path member that is connected to the third tubular container and the first tubular container and forms a flow path that connects the second water outlet and the first water inlet.

According to this configuration, the water to be purified is supplied to the water purification device through the second water inlet. The supplied water to be purified flows into the internal space of the third tubular container of the filtration tank, passes through the filter, and then flows out of the second water outlet. The water to be purified that flows out of the second water outlet flows into the internal space of the first tubular container through the flow path of the flow path member and the first water inlet. As a result, contaminants such as microorganisms, sludge, and dust in the water to be purified that cannot be removed by electrolysis are removed by the filter before the water to be purified enters the electrolytic cell. In addition, the third tubular container that houses the filter is used in a vertical position, like the first and second tubular containers, so that an excessively large area is not required in the horizontal direction for installation of the filtration tank.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a filtration tank for filtering the water to be purified supplied to the first water inlet. The filtration tank includes a third tubular container used in a vertical position, a filter disposed in the internal space of the third tubular container, a filter support for supporting the filter, a second water inlet communicating with the internal space of the third tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows in, and a second water outlet communicating with the internal space of the third tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows out. The filter is supported so that the water to be purified that flows in from the second water inlet passes through the filter, and the water to be purified that has passed through the filter flows out to the second water outlet. Furthermore, the second water outlet opens at the lower end of the third tubular container. The third tubular container has its lower end connected to the upper end of the first tubular container, so that the second water outlet is connected to the first water inlet.

According to this configuration, the water to be purified is supplied to the water purification device through the second water inlet. The supplied water to be purified flows into the internal space of the third tubular container of the filtration tank, passes through the filter, and then flows out of the second water outlet. The water to be purified that flows out of the second water outlet flows into the internal space of the first tubular container through the first water inlet. As a result, contaminants such as microorganisms, sludge, and dust in the water to be purified that cannot be removed by electrolysis are removed by the filter before the water to be purified enters the electrolytic cell. In addition, the third tubular container that houses the filter is used in a vertically arranged series with the first and second tubular containers, so the horizontal area required for installation of the filter tank is reduced.

The seventh aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the sixth aspect, in which the first water outlet opens at the upper end of the first tubular container and forms a common opening together with the first water inlet. The filtration tank has a third water outlet that communicates with the internal space of the third tubular container and through which the water to be purified flows out.

According to this configuration, the water to be purified that has passed through the filter and flows into the internal space of the first tubular container through the first water inlet is purified by electrolysis and returns to the internal space of the third tubular container through the first water outlet, which forms a common opening with the first water inlet. The water to be purified that has returned to the internal space of the third tubular container flows out of the water purification device through the third water outlet. In this way, the purified water to be purified can be taken out from the third water outlet.

The eighth aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the sixth aspect, in which the first water outlet opens into the side wall of the second tubular container.

According to this configuration, the water to be purified that has passed through the filter and flows into the internal space of the first tubular container through the first water inlet is purified by electrolysis and flows into the internal space of the second tubular container. The water to be purified that has flowed into the internal space of the second tubular container flows out of the water purification device through the first water outlet. In this way, the purified water to be purified can be taken out from the first water outlet.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the water purifier according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, wherein the first tubular container and the third tubular container are detachably connected to each other.
According to this configuration, by separating the third tubular container from the first tubular container, maintenance work such as inspection and replacement of the multiple electrode bodies arranged in the internal space of the first tubular container can be easily performed.

The tenth aspect of the present invention is a water purifier according to any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, in which the filter comprises a tubular core having a porous structure on the side wall, and a tubular filter having a closed tubular shape at one end and a flexible mesh-like shape at least on the side, which receives the tubular core inside so as to cover the side wall from one end of the tubular core, and the vicinity of the other end is folded back inward from the other end of the tubular core. The filter support has a lid portion that detachably covers the upper end of the third tubular container. The second water inlet is opened in the lid portion. Furthermore, the filter support further has a tubular body that is connected to the surface of the lid portion on the side of the third tubular container so as to surround the second water inlet and extends into the internal space of the third tubular container. The cylindrical body is removably inserted into the inside of the cylindrical core near the other end so as to sandwich the folded-back portion of the cylindrical filter between the cylindrical body and the cylindrical core, thereby supporting the cylindrical core and the cylindrical filter. The cylindrical filter loosely covers the cylindrical core so that wrinkles are formed along the side of the cylindrical core.

According to this configuration, the lid, which supports the cylindrical core material and the cylindrical filter by a cylindrical body, is attached to the third tubular container so as to cover the upper end of the third tubular container, and the cylindrical core material and the cylindrical filter surrounding it can be disposed in the internal space of the third tubular container. Water to be purified can be supplied to the inside of the cylindrical core material through the second water inlet opening in the lid, and when the supplied water to be purified passes through the porous structure of the cylindrical core material and passes through the cylindrical filter from the inside to the outside, contaminants contained in the water to be purified can be removed by the cylindrical filter. The water to be purified from which contaminants have been removed is supplied from the second water outlet through the first water inlet to the internal space of the first tubular container of the electrolytic cell.

The tubular filter can be washed by removing the lid from the third tubular container, removing the tubular core from the cylindrical body connecting the lid, and removing the tubular filter from the tubular core, and can be reattached after washing. The tubular filter is easy to wash because at least the sides are flexible and mesh-like. Furthermore, the tubular filter loosely covers the tubular core so that wrinkles are formed along the sides of the tubular core, so that the surface area of the tubular filter can be increased, and as a result, the time interval between cleaning of the tubular filter can be extended.

The eleventh aspect of the present invention is the water purification device according to the tenth aspect, in which the filter tank further has one or more annular bodies that are attached to the cylindrical core material so as to surround the side surface of the cylindrical filter from the outside and elastically press the cylindrical core material.

According to this configuration, the one or more rings promote the adhesion of amoeba-like dirt to the cylindrical filter. The one or more rings may be seamless, may have seams, or may have gaps in the seams.

The twelfth aspect of the present invention is a water purification device according to any one of the fifth to eleventh aspects, in which at least a portion of the third tubular container is formed from a material through which the interior can be seen.

With this configuration, the state of dirt and clogging of the cylindrical filter can be visually checked from the outside, and the timing to clean the cylindrical filter can be determined based on the results of the visual inspection. "Material through which the inside can be seen" is sufficient as long as it is sufficiently see-through to achieve this purpose, and includes, for example, transparent plastic, colored transparent plastic, etc.

The thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a water purification device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, in which at least a portion of the first tubular container is formed from a material through which the interior can be seen.

With this configuration, the amount of scale accumulated on the electrode body can be visually observed from the outside. Based on the results of the visual observation, it is possible to determine the timing for reversing the polarity of the applied DC voltage, etc. "Material through which the inside can be seen" means any material that is sufficiently see-through to achieve this purpose, and includes, for example, transparent plastic, colored transparent plastic, etc.

The 14th aspect of the present invention is a water purification device according to any one of the first to 13th aspects, in which at least a portion of the second tubular container is formed from a material through which the interior can be seen.

With this configuration, the condition of the scale accumulated at the lower end of the second tubular container can be visually observed from the outside. Based on the results of the visual inspection, it is possible to determine the time to discharge the scale from the discharge outlet. "Material through which the inside can be seen" means any material that is sufficiently see-through to achieve this purpose, and includes, for example, transparent plastic, colored transparent plastic, etc.

The fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a filter for filtering liquid, comprising a cylindrical core, a cylindrical filter, a cylindrical filtration vessel, a lid, and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical core has a porous structure on the side wall. The cylindrical filter is cylindrical with one end closed, and at least the side surface is a flexible mesh, and receives the cylindrical core inside so as to cover the side wall from one end of the cylindrical core, and the vicinity of the other end is folded back inward from the other end of the cylindrical core. The cylindrical filtration vessel has a liquid outlet through which the liquid flows out, has one end open, and houses the cylindrical core and the cylindrical filter. The lid detachably covers the open end of the filtration vessel. The cylindrical body is connected to the surface of the lid on the side of the filtration vessel and extends into the filtration vessel. The cylindrical body is removably inserted into the inner side of the cylindrical core near the other end so as to sandwich the folded-back portion of the cylindrical filter between the cylindrical body and the cylindrical core, thereby supporting the cylindrical core and the cylindrical filter. The lid has a liquid inlet through which the liquid flows into the inner region of the cylindrical body. The cylindrical filter loosely covers the cylindrical core so that wrinkles are formed along the side of the cylindrical core. The filter further includes one or more annular bodies that surround the side of the cylindrical filter and elastically press against the side.

According to this configuration, the lid, which supports the cylindrical core and the cylindrical filter with a cylindrical body, is attached to the open end of the filtration vessel, so that the cylindrical core and the cylindrical filter surrounding it can be placed inside the filtration vessel. The liquid to be purified can be supplied to the inside of the cylindrical core through the liquid inlet port of the lid, and as the supplied liquid to be purified passes through the porous structure of the cylindrical core and passes through the cylindrical filter from the inside to the outside, contaminants contained in the liquid to be purified can be removed by the cylindrical filter. The liquid to be purified from which contaminants have been removed is taken out through the liquid outlet port of the filtration vessel.

The cylindrical filter can be washed by removing the lid from the filtration container, removing the cylindrical core from the cylindrical body that connects the lid, and removing the cylindrical filter from the cylindrical core, and then reattaching it after washing. The cylindrical filter is easy to wash because at least the sides are flexible and mesh-like. Furthermore, the cylindrical filter loosely covers the cylindrical core so that wrinkles are formed along the sides of the cylindrical core, so that the surface area of the cylindrical filter can be increased, and as a result, the time interval between cleaning of the cylindrical filter can be extended.

Furthermore, the one or more rings promote the adhesion of amoeba-like dirt to the cylindrical filter. The one or more rings may be seamless, may have seams, or may have gaps in the seams.

As described above, the present invention provides a water purification device that does not require an excessively large installation area even if the scale tank is set deep. It also provides a filter that is suitable for use in the water purification device.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the connection portion of the tubular containers that constitute the water purification device of FIG. 1, where (a) is a photographic oblique view of the connection jig, (b) is an oblique view of the connection portion of the tubular containers, and (c) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connection portion of two tubular containers. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of an electrolytic cell and a scale cell that constitute the water purification apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a filter that can be used as a filter tank constituting the water purifier of FIG. FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the filter of FIG. 4. 5 is a partial perspective view illustrating the configuration of an annular body installed in the filter of FIG. 4. FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purifier according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purifier according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purifier according to still another embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of the configuration of a water purifier according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a prototype of a water purifier according to the present invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a water purification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This water purification device 101 has an electrolytic cell 1, a scale cell 3, and a filtration cell 5. The electrolytic cell 1 electrolyzes the water to be purified to solidify scale-causing substances dissolved in the water to be purified as scale, thereby removing the scale-causing substances from the water to be purified. The scale cell 3 receives and stores the scale that falls from the electrolytic cell 1. The filtration cell 5 filters the water to be purified that is supplied to the electrolytic cell 1.

The electrolytic cell 1 has a tubular container 7, a lid 8, multiple electrode bodies 9, multiple conductors 11, a water inlet 13, and a water outlet 15. The tubular container 7 is used in a vertical position as shown in the example. The lid 8 covers the upper end of the tubular container 7. The multiple electrode bodies 9 are members for electrolyzing the water to be purified, and are arranged at intervals in the internal space of the tubular container 7. The multiple conductors 11 are supported by the lid 8 while passing through the lid 8. The multiple conductors 11 are individually and electrically connected to the multiple electrode bodies 9, and serve to support these electrode bodies 9.

A power source 17 is placed on the lid 8. The power source 17 is connected to the conductor 11 through the electric wire 12, and applies a voltage to the electrode body 9 through the conductor 11. The power source 17 is, for example, a DC power source capable of changing the polarity of the voltage applied. In the illustrated example, the polarity can be changed manually by operating the knob 18. In the illustrated example, the multiple electrode bodies 9 are a pair of electrode bodies 9, and the multiple conductors 11 are a pair of conductors 11. Since the power source 17 can be installed close to the conductor 11, the electric wire 12 electrically connecting the power source 17 and the conductor 11 can be shortened.

The water inlet 13 is connected to the internal space of the tubular container 7, and the water to be purified flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 through this water inlet 13. The water outlet 15 is also connected to the internal space of the tubular container 7, and the water to be purified flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 7 through this water outlet 15. In the illustrated example, both the water inlet 13 and the water outlet 15 open into the side wall of the tubular container 7.

The scale tank 3 has a tubular container 19, an outlet 21, and an outlet valve 23. The tubular container 19, like the tubular container 7, is used in a vertical position as shown in the illustrated example. The upper end of the tubular container 19 is connected to the lower end of the tubular container 7 so that its internal space is connected to the internal space of the tubular container 7. The outlet 21 opens at the lower end of the tubular container 19. The outlet 21 is for discharging the scale 43 accumulated at the lower end of the tubular container 19, and in the illustrated example, opens at the bottom wall 75 covering the lower end of the tubular container 19. The outlet valve 23 is connected to the bottom wall 75 and opens and closes a flow path for discharging scale that is connected to the outlet 21. In the illustrated example, the outlet valve 23 is connected integrally to the bottom wall 75.

The filtration tank 5 has a tubular container 25, a filter 27, a filter support 29, a water inlet 31, and a water outlet 33. The tubular container 25, like the tubular containers 7 and 19, is used in a vertical position as shown in the illustration. The filter 27 is disposed in the internal space of the tubular container 25 and is a member that filters the water to be purified by passing the water through it. The filter support 29 is a member that supports the filter 27. The filter support 29 has a lid 35 that covers the upper end of the tubular container 25.

The water inlet 31 is connected to the internal space of the tubular container 25, and the water to be purified flows into the internal space of the tubular container 25 through this water inlet 31. The water outlet 33 is also connected to the internal space of the tubular container 25, and the water to be purified flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 25 through this water outlet 33. In the illustrated example, the water inlet 31 opens into the lid 35, and the water outlet 33 opens into the side wall of the tubular container 25.

In the illustrated example, the filtration tank 5 further includes a water inlet valve 37, a discharge port 38, and a discharge valve 39. The water inlet valve 37 is connected to the lid 35 and opens and closes the flow path of the water to be purified that is connected to the water inlet 31. The discharge port 38 is for discharging the contaminants accumulated in the tubular container 25 together with the water to be purified, and opens at the lower end of the tubular container 25. In the illustrated example, the discharge port 38 opens at the bottom wall 40 that covers the lower end of the tubular container 19. The discharge valve 39 is connected to the bottom wall 40 and opens and closes the flow path for discharging the contaminants that is connected to the discharge port 38. In the illustrated example, the water inlet 13 of the electrolytic cell 1 is connected to the water outlet 33 of the filtration tank 5 through a pipe 41. The pipe 41 corresponds to a specific example of the "flow path member" of the present invention.

The water to be purified that flows into the internal space of the tubular container 25 from the water inlet 31 of the filtration tank 5 is filtered by the filter 27 and flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1 through the water outlet 33, the piping 41, and the water inlet 13. That is, contaminants such as microorganisms, sludge, and dust in the water to be purified that cannot be removed by electrolysis are removed by the filter 27 before the water to be purified flows into the electrolytic cell 1. The water to be purified that flows in is electrolyzed by the electrode body 9 in the internal space of the tubular container 7 to remove scale-causing substances such as calcium and magnesium, and flows out of the water purification device 101 through the water outlet 15. As an example, the water purification device 101 can be interposed in the circulation path so that the water inlet 31 is connected to the upstream of the circulation flow path of the cooling water stored in the water tank of the cooling tower and used for circulating cooling, and the water outlet 15 is connected to the downstream of the circulation flow path. In this way, the water purification device 101 can be used, for example, to purify cooling water while circulating it.

To describe the purification process by electrolysis in more detail, when a voltage is applied to the electrode body 9 by the power source 17, the scale-causing substances contained in the water to be purified in the internal space of the tubular container 7 are adsorbed to the electrode body 9, which has become the negative electrode, and are accumulated as scale. For example, by operating the knob 18, the polarity of the applied voltage can be reversed, and the accumulated scale can be peeled off from the electrode body 9, which has been reversed from negative to positive. The electrode body 9, which has now become the negative electrode, can adsorb and accumulate the scale-causing substances. In this way, the water to be purified is purified by the electrolytic cell 1, and the purified water to be purified can be taken out of the water purification device 101 from the water outlet 15. In the illustrated example, a pipe 45 that leads the water to be purified flowing out from the water outlet 15 to the outside is connected to the side wall of the tubular container 19.

The scale 43 that peels off from the electrode body 9 falls through the water and accumulates at the bottom of the tubular container 19 where the drain outlet 21 is formed. When a certain amount of scale 43 has accumulated, the drain valve 23 can be opened to discharge the scale 43 to the outside of the water purification device 101 together with the water to be purified in the tubular container 7 and the tubular container 19.

In the water purification device 101, the electrolytic cell 1 and the scale cell 3 are arranged vertically in series to hold the water to be purified in the tubular containers 7 and 19. By setting these tubular containers 7 and 19 to be long in the vertical direction, i.e., vertical direction, as necessary, the volume required to hold the water to be purified can be secured. That is, the volume required to hold the water to be purified can be secured without requiring an excessive area in the horizontal direction, i.e., in the direction parallel to the floor or ground, for the installation of the water purification device 101. In particular, by setting the tubular container 19 to be long in the vertical direction, the scale 43 accumulated in the scale cell 3 can be held at a position far below the electrode body 9 without requiring an excessive area in the horizontal direction for the installation of the water purification device 101. In addition, the tubular container 25 constituting the filtration cell 5 is used in a vertical position, similar to the tubular containers 7 and 19, so that an excessive area in the horizontal direction is not required for the installation of the filtration cell 5.

2 is a diagram illustrating the connection part of two tubular containers 7, 19 that constitute the water purification device 101, where (a) is a photographic perspective view of the connection jig, (b) is a perspective view of the connection part of the tubular container 7 or tubular container 19, and (c) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the connection part of the two tubular containers 7, 19. Figure 2(a) is an advertising photo of a product of the "Fujitoku Co., Ltd." brand quoted from a website (https://www.monotaro.com/p/3943/3326/). The tubular container 7 has a tubular body 47 and flange members 49, commonly called "ferrules," fitted into both ends. Similarly, the tubular container 19 has a tubular body 70 and similar flange members 71 fitted into both ends. The flange member 49 at the lower end of the tubular container 7 and the flange member 71 at the upper end of the tubular container 19 are butted against each other at their enlarged diameter portions (i.e., flange portions) and are releasably fastened by a connecting jig 73, commonly called a "sanitary joint" and illustrated in FIG. 2(a). As a result, the two tubular containers 7 and 19 are detachably connected to each other. The connecting jig 73 can easily fasten the two flange members 49 and 71 by manually tightening the screw 74, as illustrated in FIG. 2(c), and can easily release the fastening by loosening the screw. By separating the two tubular containers 7 and 19 from each other, maintenance, cleaning, and other operations can be easily performed on each of the tubular containers 7 and 19. For example, the accumulated scale 43 (see FIG. 1) can be broken into small pieces by poking the scale 43 with a rod or the like from the upper end of the tubular container 19 separated from the tubular container 7, and then the scale 43 can be discharged from the discharge port 21.

Figure 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the electrolytic cell 1 and the scale cell 3 connected to each other. In the illustrated example, not only are the flange member 49 at the lower end of the tubular container 7 and the flange member 71 at the upper end of the tubular container 19 detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73, but the flange member 49 at the upper end of the tubular container 7 and the lid 8 covering the upper end of the tubular container 7 are also detachably fastened by the connecting jig 73. Furthermore, the bottom wall 75 covering the lower end of the tubular container 19 and having the discharge port 21, and the flange member 71 at the lower end of the tubular container 19 are also detachably fastened by the connecting jig 73.

Returning to FIG. 1, in the illustrated example, the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5 is configured in the same manner as the tubular container 19 of the scale 43. That is, the tubular container 25 also has a tubular body 77 and similar flange members 79 fitted into both ends thereof. The flange member 79 at the lower end of the tubular container 25 and the bottom wall 40 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73. Similarly, the flange member 79 at the upper end of the tubular container 25 and the lid portion 35 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73. Note that the connecting jig 73 is omitted in FIG. 1. In order to detachably connect the tubular containers 7, 19 to each other, and the tubular containers 7, 19, 25 to other members, it is also possible to use bolts, or screw members such as a set of bolts and nuts, or even other fastening members, instead of the detachable connecting jig 73.

The tubular bodies 47, 70, 77, the flange members 49, 71, 79, the lid body 8, the lid portion 35, and the bottom walls 40, 75 are made of, for example, plastic. It is desirable that the flange members 49, 71, 79, the lid body 8, the lid portion 35, and the bottom walls 40, 75 have a certain degree of elasticity in order to facilitate fitting the tubular bodies 47, 70, 77 or fastening them with the connecting jig 73, and are made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride. Note that the fitting parts can be welded or adhesive can be applied. Either method also prevents water leakage. Polyvinyl chloride has the advantage that it is easy to weld and can withstand electrolysis. Note that commercially available ferrules are made of metal such as stainless steel, and the idea of making the ferrule-shaped flange members 49, 71, 79 out of polyvinyl chloride was conceived by the present inventor.

It is desirable that at least a part of the tubular container 7 is made of a material that allows the inside to be seen through. For example, it is desirable that the tubular body 47 is made of a transparent plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, acrylic resin, or ABS resin. As a result, the amount of scale accumulated in the electrode body 9 can be visually observed from the outside. Based on the visual observation result, it is possible to determine the timing of reversing the polarity of the applied DC voltage. It is also desirable that at least a part of the tubular container 19 is made of a material that allows the inside to be seen through. For example, it is desirable that the tubular body 70 is made of a transparent plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride. As a result, the state of the scale 43 accumulated at the lower end of the tubular container 19 can be visually observed from the outside. Based on the visual observation result, it is possible to determine the timing of discharging the scale 43 from the discharge port 21. It is also desirable that at least a part of the tubular container 25 is made of a material that allows the inside to be seen through. For example, it is desirable that the tubular body 77 is made of a transparent plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride. As a result, it is possible to visually observe the degree of dirt of the filter 27 placed in the tubular container 25 from the outside. Based on the results of the visual inspection, it is possible to determine when to clean the filter 27.

The piping 41 preferably has a removable joint (not shown) or a flexible tubular member such as a rubber tube in part so that the electrolytic cell 1 and the filtration cell 5 can be installed and removed separately. Similarly, the water inlet valve 37 of the filtration cell 5 (see FIG. 1) and the piping 45 connected to the electrolytic cell 1 are preferably connected to the piping for the water to be purified that forms a circulation path for cooling water, etc., via a removable joint or a flexible tubular member.

Returning to FIG. 3, the electrode body 9 is made of, for example, a platinum-plated titanium plate. The conductor 11 supporting the electrode body 9 is made of, for example, a titanium rod or plate, which is more corrosion-resistant than copper. The upper end of the electrode body 9 is fastened to the lower end of the conductor 11 by, for example, a titanium screw 81. In the example shown, the titanium screw 81 is a bolt and nut combination. Since the conductor 11 and the screw 81 are not platinum-plated, even if they are submerged in water, they do not cause an electrode reaction as much as the platinum-plated electrode body 9 would.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a filter that can be used as a filtration tank 5. Also, Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the filter illustrated in Figure 4. This filter 51 has a filter container 151, a lid 160, a cylindrical core material 57, and a cylindrical filter 58.

The filtration vessel 151 is a cylindrical vessel with an open top end, and a tubular body 152 made of transparent polyvinyl chloride is used for the cylindrical side wall. An annular flange portion 159 is formed at the open top end of the filtration vessel 151, and a water outlet 153 is formed in the tubular body 152 forming the side wall. A pipe 66 (corresponding to the pipe 41 in FIG. 1) is connected to the water outlet 153. The filtration vessel 151 has a bottom member 155 at its bottom, which forms the bottom wall and the lower side wall. The flange portion 159 and the tubular body 152 of the filtration vessel 151 correspond to one specific example of a tubular vessel of the filtration tank of the present invention, similar to the tubular vessel 25 illustrated in FIG. 1. The upper end of the tubular body 152 is fixed to the flange portion 159, and the lower end is fixed to the bottom member 155. The flange portion 159 and the bottom member 155 are made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride. A drain port 157 is formed in the center of the bottom wall of the bottom member 155. A drain valve 55 is connected to the drain port 157.

The lid 160 removably covers the open upper end of the filtration vessel 151. The lid 160 has a flange 161, a cylindrical body 165, and a water inlet valve 53. The flange 161 is disk-shaped and covers the open upper end of the filtration vessel 151 by fastening to the flange portion 159 of the filtration vessel 151. For fastening, screws such as bolts may be used, or other fastening members may be used. The connection jig 73 (see FIG. 2) as a fastening member can be attached and detached by simple manual operation, which is convenient for the user to maintain the filtration vessel 151. A water inlet 163 is formed in the center of the flange 161. The water inlet valve 53 is connected to the water inlet 163. The cylindrical body 165 is integrally connected to the lower surface of the flange 161 and extends downward. The cylindrical body 165 is formed to surround the water inlet 163. The outer diameter of the cylindrical body 165 is set to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical core material 57. The flange 161 and the cylindrical body 165 are made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride.

The cylindrical core material 57 is a cylindrical body with a porous structure, with an open upper end and, for example, an open lower end. The cylindrical core material 57 is, for example, a plastic lattice-like material, and the lattice is formed to a certain degree so as to have a certain degree of rigidity. The cylindrical filter 58 is a cylindrical body with an open upper end and a closed lower end, and is formed in a flexible mesh shape that can be folded back, wrinkled, and stretched as easily as a cloth. The mesh functions as a filter. In order to remove contaminants, it is desirable that the size of the mesh is in the range of 300 μm to 700 μm. The cylindrical filter 58 is, for example, made of a mesh-like plastic, such as polyethylene or nylon. The cylindrical filter 58 has a diameter that is in close contact with the outer periphery of the cylindrical core material 57, stores the cylindrical core material 57 inside, and has a length that is long enough to have an excess upper end. As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical filter 58 is loosely wrapped around the cylindrical core 57 so that wrinkles form around the outer periphery of the cylindrical core 57, and is used with the upper end folded back inward from the upper end of the cylindrical core 57. FIG. 5 shows the wrinkles of the cylindrical filter 58 as a schematic geometric wave shape.

The cylindrical body 165 of the lid 160 is inserted from the upper end of the cylindrical core 57 into the inside near the upper end of the cylindrical core 57 while sandwiching the folded portion 59 of the cylindrical filter 58. The cylindrical core 57 is fixed to the cylindrical body 165 by the frictional force. The outer diameter of the cylindrical body 165 is set so that the cylindrical filter 58 can be sandwiched and pressed into the cylindrical core 57, and the frictional force can prevent it from coming off. After the cylindrical core 57 surrounded by the cylindrical filter 58 is fixed to the cylindrical body 165, the flange 161 of the lid 160 is detachably fastened to the flange portion 159 of the filter container 151.

The water to be purified is supplied through the water inlet valve 53, passes through the inside of the cylindrical body 165 from the water inlet 163, then through the gaps in the lattice of the cylindrical core material 57, and passes through the mesh of the cylindrical filter 58 that surrounds its outer periphery. Contaminants contained in the water to be purified are mainly filtered out by the cylindrical filter 58. The water to be purified from which the contaminants have been removed accumulates in the filter container 151, and is sent from the water outlet 153 through the piping 66 to the electrolytic cell 1 (see Figure 1).

The filtered contaminants accumulate as dirt on the inner surface of the cylindrical filter 58. When the accumulation progresses to a certain extent, the cylindrical filter 58 becomes clogged, and its function as a filter is reduced. The tubular body 152 is, for example, transparent, and the user can see the cylindrical filter 58 from the outside through the transparent tubular body 152. When the user confirms that the cylindrical filter 58 is considerably dirty, he or she can close the water inlet valve 53, pull up the lid 160 from the filter container 151, remove the cylindrical core material 57 from the cylindrical body 165, and further remove the cylindrical filter 58 from the cylindrical core material 57. The removed cylindrical filter 58 can be easily washed. In addition, the cylindrical core material 57 can also be washed if necessary. The cylindrical filter 58 is set to have a long overall length so that wrinkles are formed, so that a large surface area is secured. As a result, it is possible to lengthen the time interval between washing the cylindrical filter 58, that is, to reduce the frequency of washing.

Furthermore, by opening the drain valve 55 connected to the bottom member 155, it is possible to drain the water to be purified stored in the filter container 151 and clean the inside of the filter container 151. The degree of dirt on the filter container 151 can also be seen through the transparent tubular body 152. Once cleaning is complete, the filter 51 can be reassembled by going through the reverse procedure. In this way, because the tubular body 152 is visible, the user can easily maintain the filter 51.

In the above example, the cylindrical filter 58 of the filter 51 is entirely made of a flexible mesh, but a substantial portion of the filter may be made of a flexible mesh. For example, the bottom may not be made of a mesh, or only a small portion of the side may not be made of a mesh.

By arranging the ring-shaped bodies 83 illustrated in Figs. 4(e) and (f) so as to surround the side of the cylindrical filter 58 as illustrated in Fig. 5, the adhesion of amoeba-like dirt to the cylindrical filter 58 is promoted. This effect was discovered by the inventor of the present application in the process of prototyping the device. Amoeba-like dirt refers to limescale that is the source of slime contained in water, and includes bacteria, animals and plants. The number of ring-shaped bodies 83 to be arranged can be selected according to the length of the cylindrical filter 58. The ring-shaped bodies 83 have elasticity and elastically press the side of the cylindrical filter 58. The ring-shaped bodies 83 may be seamless as illustrated in Fig. 4(e), or may have a seam as illustrated in Fig. 4(f). Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 4(f), there may be a gap at the seam. With only the cylindrical filter 58, the amoeba-like dirt only adheres thinly to the entire cylindrical filter 58, but when the ring-shaped body 83 is fitted, the amoeba-like dirt is more likely to adhere to the area of the cylindrical filter 58 around the ring-shaped body 83, improving collection efficiency. Amoeba-like dirt is likely to contain mold, legionella bacteria, and filamentous fungi. Well-known thick filters have the disadvantage of making it difficult to collect these bacteria.

6 is a partial perspective view illustrating the configuration of the ring-shaped body 83. In the ring-shaped body 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(a), a tubular sponge is inserted into the hollow part of a tubular cloth or nonwoven fabric. In the ring-shaped body 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(b), a polyethylene bellows is inserted into the hollow part of a mesh tube. The material of the mesh tube is, for example, a plastic net or a metal net. The ring-shaped body 83 may be constructed only from a mesh tube without inserting a bellows. In the ring-shaped body 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(c), a polyethylene thread with many wires inserted therein is inserted into the hollow part of a tubular sponge. In either case, a linearly extended shape is prepared first, and then both ends are joined together to complete the ring-shaped body 83. For example, in the ring-shaped body 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(a), both ends of the outer cloth or nonwoven fabric can be sewn together. In the ring-shaped body 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(b), both ends of the outer mesh tube can be joined together. In the ring-shaped body 83 in FIG. 6(c), both ends of the inner polyethylene thread can be joined together. All of the ring-shaped bodies 83 illustrated in FIG. 6(a) to (c) have appropriate elasticity and are configured to allow the water to be purified to pass through easily with little resistance.

Figure 7 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purification device according to another embodiment of the present invention. This water purification device 102 differs from the water purification device 101 (see Figure 1) in that the filtration tank 5 is placed on the electrolytic tank 1. The lower end of the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5 is connected to the upper end of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic tank 1. In the illustrated example, the tubular container 25 and the tubular container 7 are detachably connected by a connecting jig 73. The tubular container 25 constituting the filtration tank 5 is used in a vertically arranged serial position together with the tubular containers 7 and 19, so that the horizontal area required for the installation of the filtration tank 5 is reduced. In addition, since the tubular container 25 and the tubular container 7 are detachably connected, maintenance work such as inspection and replacement of the electrode body 9 placed in the internal space of the tubular container 7 can be easily performed by separating the tubular container 25 from the tubular container 7.

In the water purification device 102 configured as described above, the water outlet 33 through which the water to be purified flows out from the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5 to the electrolytic tank 1 opens at the lower end of the tubular container 25. The water inlet 13 through which the water to be purified flows into the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic tank 1 opens at the upper end of the tubular container 7. These water outlets 33 and water inlets 13 are connected to each other. The water outlet 15 through which the water to be purified flows out from the tubular container 7 opens at the upper end of the tubular container 7 and forms a common opening with the water inlet 13. The water outlet 95 that leads the water to be purified to the outside of the water purification device 102 opens in the side wall of the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5. A pipe 45 that leads the water to be purified flowing out from the water outlet 95 to the outside is connected to the side wall of the tubular container 25.

That is, the water to be purified that flows into the internal space of the tubular container 25 from the water inlet 31 of the filtration tank 5 is filtered by the filter 27 and flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 25. The water to be purified from which scale-causing substances have been removed by the electrolytic cell 1 returns to the internal space of the tubular container 25 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 25, and then flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 25 through the water outlet 95. The outflowing water to be purified is led to the outside of the water purification device 102 by the piping 45.

A portion of the water to be purified filtered by the filter 27 flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 25 through the water outlet 95, without flowing from the opening at the bottom end of the tubular container 25 into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1. However, since a certain percentage of the water to be purified filtered by the filter 27 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1, if the water purification device 102 is installed in the flow path through which the water to be purified circulates, it is possible to remove scale-causing substances as the water to be purified circulates.

Since the upper end of the tubular container 7 is open, the electrode body 9 is supported by conductors 85, 87 supported on the side wall of the tubular container 7. As with the conductor 11 (Figs. 1 and 3), the conductor 85 is, for example, a titanium rod or titanium plate. The upper end of the electrode body 9 is fastened to the lower end of the conductor 85 by, for example, a titanium screw 81. In the illustrated example, the titanium screw 81 is also a bolt and nut set. The upper end of the conductor 85 is connected to the base end of another conductor 87.

The conductor 87 penetrates the side wall of the flange member 49 at the upper end of the tubular container 7 and is supported by this side wall. The conductor 87 is, for example, a titanium threaded rod, with an enlarged head at the base end and a male screw at the tip. The conductor 87 is fixed to the flange member 49 by a nut 88 that screws into the male screw exposed on the outside of the flange member 49. The conductor 87 has a round rod shape without a male screw in the majority of the part that penetrates the flange member 49. The flange member 49 is made of a material with appropriate elasticity, such as polyvinyl chloride, and the diameter of the through hole of the flange member 49 is set to be somewhat smaller than the diameter of the round rod part of the conductor 87. This allows the conductor 87 and the flange member 49 to adhere well to each other, preventing the water to be purified from leaking out between them.

In the illustrated example, spacers 91, 93 for determining the position of the conductor 87 are arranged on the inside and outside of the flange member 49. The conductor 85 is sandwiched between the inside spacer 91 and the head of the conductor 87, thereby ensuring electrical connection with the conductor 87. The terminal 89 of the electric wire 12 is sandwiched between the outside spacer 93 and the nut 88, thereby ensuring electrical connection with the conductor 87. The spacers are, for example, both made of plastic.

Figure 8 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purifier according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. This water purifier 103 differs from the water purifier 102 in that the water outlet 95 that guides the water to be purified to the outside of the water purifier 103 opens into the side wall of the tubular container 19 of the scale tank 3. A pipe 45 that guides the water to be purified flowing out from the water outlet 95 to the outside is connected to the side wall of the tubular container 19.

That is, the water to be purified that flows into the internal space of the tubular container 25 from the water inlet 31 of the filtration tank 5 is filtered by the filter 27 and flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 25. The water to be purified from which scale-causing substances have been removed by the electrolytic cell 1 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 19 of the scale tank 3 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 7, and then flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 19 through the water outlet 95. The outflowing water to be purified is led to the outside of the water purification device 103 by the piping 45. Unlike the water purification device 102, all of the water to be purified that has been filtered by the filter 27 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 25, so the efficiency of purifying the water to be purified by electrolysis is higher than that of the water purification device 102.

9 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a water purification device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this water purification device 104, like the water purification device 103, the water to be purified supplied to the electrolytic cell 1 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 through the water inlet 13 opening at the upper end of the tubular container 7, and like the water purification device 101, the filtration tank 5 is installed at a position laterally offset from the electrolytic cell 1. The water to be purified filtered by the filter 27 of the filtration tank 5 flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 25 through the water outlet 33 opening at the side wall of the tubular container 25. The outflowing water to be purified is led to the electrolytic cell 1 through the piping 41 and the water introduction tank 121. The water introduction tank 121 is installed above the electrolytic cell 1. The water introduction tank 121, together with the piping 41, corresponds to one specific example of the "flow path member" of the present invention, and functions as a member that forms a flow path that leads the water to be purified from the filtration tank 5 to the electrolytic cell 1.

More specifically, the water introduction tank 121 has a tubular container 123, a lid 125, and a water inlet 127. The tubular container 123 has its lower end connected to the upper end of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1, and is used in a vertical position, similar to the tubular containers 7 and 19. The lid 125 covers the upper end of the tubular container 123. The water inlet 127 opens into the side wall of the tubular container 123. The water to be purified that flows out of the filtration tank 5 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 123 through the water inlet 127. In the illustrated example, the tubular container 123 has a tubular body 129 and flange members 131 fitted into both ends thereof. In the illustrated example, the flange member 131 at the lower end of the tubular container 123 and the flange member 49 at the upper end of the tubular container 7 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73, thereby detachably connecting the tubular container 123 and the tubular container 7. Similarly, the flange member 131 at the upper end of the tubular container 123 and the lid 125 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73, thereby detachably connecting the tubular container 123 and the lid 125. The piping 41 is connected to the side wall of the tubular container 7 of the filtration tank 5 and the side wall of the tubular container 123 of the water introduction tank 121 so as to communicate the water outlet 33 of the filtration tank 5 with the water inlet 127 of the water introduction tank 121.

The water to be purified that flows out from the internal space of the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5 passes through the piping 41 and flows into the internal space of the tubular container 123 of the water introduction tank 121, and then flows into the internal space of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic tank 1 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 123. The water to be purified from which scale-causing substances have been removed by the electrolytic tank 1 flows into the internal space of the tubular container 19 of the scale tank 3 from the opening at the lower end of the tubular container 7, and then flows out of the internal space of the tubular container 19 through the water outlet 95. The outflowing water to be purified is led to the outside of the water purification device 104 by the piping 45.

In the water purification device 104, the tubular container 123 constituting the water introduction tank 121 is used in a vertically arranged serial position together with the tubular containers 7 and 19, so that no extra area is required in the horizontal direction for the installation of the water introduction tank 121. In addition, the tubular container 123 and the tubular container 7 are detachably connected, so that maintenance work such as inspection and replacement of the electrode body 9 arranged in the internal space of the tubular container 7 can be easily performed by separating the tubular container 123 from the tubular container 7.

Figure 10 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating a part of the configuration of a water purifier according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. This water purifier 105 differs from the water purifier 104 in that the tubular container 19 constituting the scale tank 3 is divided into two tubular containers 133 and 139 connected vertically in series. The tubular container 133 has a tubular body 135 and flange members 137 fitted into both ends. In the illustrated example, the flange member 137 at the upper end of the tubular container 133 and the flange member 49 at the lower end of the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic cell 1 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73, thereby detachably connecting the tubular container 133 and the tubular container 7. The tubular container 139 has a tubular body 141 and a flange member 143 fitted into the upper end. A bottom wall 145 is fitted into the lower end of the tubular body 141. In the illustrated example, a flange member 143 at the upper end of the tubular container 139 and a flange member 137 at the lower end of the tubular container 133 are detachably fastened by a connecting jig 73, thereby detachably connecting the tubular container 133 and the tubular container 139. In the illustrated example, the water outlet 95 opens into the side wall of the tubular container 133.

In the water purification device 105, even if the tubular containers 133 and 139 themselves are short, by connecting them, it is possible to set the tubular container 19 of the scale tank 3 to be longer. Since the tubular containers 133 and 139 are detachable from each other, it is possible to further lengthen the tubular container 9 by connecting another tubular container between the tubular container 133 and the tubular container 139, or between the tubular container 133 and the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic tank 1, if necessary. Not only the tubular container 19 of the scale tank 3, but also the tubular container 7 of the electrolytic tank 1, the tubular container 25 of the filtration tank 5, and the tubular container 123 of the water introduction tank 121 may be divided into multiple stages of tubular containers that are connected to each other.

Figure 11 is a photograph showing a prototype of the water purifier of the present invention. The prototype shown corresponds to a specific example of a device in which the scale tank 3 (see Figure 10) of the water purifier 105 is applied to the water purifier 104 (see Figure 9). In this prototype, the tubular containers 7, 19, 25, the pipes 41, 45, the lid 35, the lid body 125, and the bottom walls 40, 75 are all made of polyvinyl chloride.

1 Electrolytic cell, 3 Scale cell, 5 Filtration cell, 7 Tubular container, 8 Lid, 9 Electrode body, 11 Conductor, 12 Electric wire, 13 Water inlet, 15 Water outlet, 17 Power source, 18 Knob, 19 Tubular container, 21 Water outlet, 23 Water outlet valve, 25 Tubular container, 27 Filter, 29 Filter support, 31 Water inlet, 33 Water outlet, 35 Lid, 37 Water inlet valve, 38 Water outlet, 39 Water outlet valve, 40 Bottom wall, 41 Pipe (flow path member), 43 Scale, 45 Pipe, 47 Tubular body, 49 Flange member, 51 Filter, 53 Water inlet valve, 55 Water outlet valve, 57 Cylindrical core material, 58 Cylindrical filter, 59 Folded portion, 66 Pipe, 70 Tubular body, 71 Flange member, 73 Connection jig, 74 Screw, 75 Bottom wall, 77 Tubular body, 79 Flange member, 81 Screw, 83 Annular body, 85, 87 Conductor, 88 Nut, 89 Terminal, 91, 93 Spacer, 95 Water outlet, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 Water purifier, 121 Water introduction tank (flow path member), 123 Tubular container, 125 Cover, 127 Water inlet, 129 Tubular body, 131 Flange member, 133 Tubular container, 135 Tubular body, 137 Flange member, 139 Tubular container, 141 Tubular body, 143 flange member, 145 bottom wall, 151 filtration container, 152 tubular body, 153 water outlet, 155 bottom member, 157 drain port, 159 flange portion, 160 lid portion, 161 flange, 163 water inlet, cylindrical body 165.

Claims (1)

A filter for filtering a liquid, comprising:
A cylindrical core material having a porous structure on a side wall;
a cylindrical filter having a cylindrical shape with one end closed and at least a side surface made of a flexible mesh, the cylindrical filter receiving the cylindrical core material from one end of the cylindrical core material so as to cover the side wall, and a portion near the other end of the cylindrical filter being folded back inward from the other end of the cylindrical core material;
a cylindrical filtration vessel having an outlet through which the liquid flows out, one end of which is open, and which contains the cylindrical core material and the cylindrical filter;
A lid portion that detachably covers the open end of the filtration container;
a cylindrical body connected to a surface of the lid portion facing the filtration vessel and extending into the filtration vessel,
the cylindrical body is detachably inserted into the inner side of the cylindrical core material near the other end so as to sandwich the folded-back portion of the cylindrical filter between the cylindrical body and the cylindrical core material, thereby supporting the cylindrical core material and the cylindrical filter;
the lid portion has a liquid inlet through which the liquid flows into an inner region of the cylindrical body,
the cylindrical filter loosely covers the cylindrical core material such that wrinkles are formed along the side surface of the cylindrical core material;
The filter further includes one or more annular bodies that surround a side surface of the cylindrical filter and elastically press against the side surface to promote adhesion of dirt to the cylindrical filter .