JP7774199B2 - Mixed water generator - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a mixed water generating device for mixing water and salt water.

A spatial sterilization and deodorization device sprays fine water particles of a chemical agent, such as hypochlorous acid water, to sterilize a target area. For example, the liquid atomization chamber of the spatial sterilization and deodorization device releases water droplets from a hypochlorous acid solution stored in a water storage unit. The water droplets are blown through an air duct by the air blower and then released into the target area from an outlet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

WO 20/158850

One possible configuration is to mix water with high-concentration salt water to produce low-concentration salt water, which is then electrolyzed to produce hypochlorous acid water. The high-concentration salt water is supplied through a tube. However, since it generally takes a few seconds to supply salt water to produce one batch of hypochlorous acid water, when salt water is not being supplied, water evaporates from the high-concentration salt water near the outlet at the tip of the tube, which is exposed to the air, making it more likely that the salt will become concentrated. This could result in the outlet becoming clogged with solidified salt.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that makes it less likely for the outlet that supplies saltwater to become clogged.

To solve the above problem, one embodiment of the mixed water generating device disclosed herein includes a mixing tank that stores a mixture of water and salt water, a water supply unit that supplies water to the mixing tank, and a salt water supply unit that has an outlet through which the salt water flows and supplies the salt water to the mixing tank. The outlet is positioned so that it is submerged in the mixed water when the mixing tank is full.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and conversions of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, devices, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of this disclosure.

This disclosure makes it possible to reduce clogging of the outlet that supplies salt water.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a space purification system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the space purification device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the electrolyzed water generating unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the electrolyzed water generating unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the electrolytic cell of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the electrolytic cell of FIG. 2, seen from an angle different from that of FIG. 5.

Before describing the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the embodiments will be provided. This embodiment relates to a mixed water generating device. The mixed water generating device is installed in a space purification system that adjusts humidity and sprays water containing a component that purifies the air (hereinafter referred to as an "air purification component") into a room. The air purification component may be, for example, hypochlorous acid, which has bactericidal or deodorizing properties. This sterilizes or deodorizes the room.

In a mixed water generator, water and high-concentration brine are supplied separately to an electrolytic cell, which then mixes them to produce low-concentration brine, which is the mixed water. The resulting brine is then electrolyzed to produce hypochlorous acid water. However, as mentioned above, there is a risk that the outlet of the tube used to supply high-concentration brine to the electrolytic cell may become clogged.

In this embodiment, the outlet for the high-concentration salt water is configured to be submerged in the mixed water when the electrolytic cell is full. This makes it difficult for water to evaporate from the high-concentration salt water inside the outlet. This prevents the outlet from becoming clogged with solidified salt.

The examples described below each represent a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps (processes), and step order shown in the following examples are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following examples, any component not recited in an independent claim that represents the highest concept of the present disclosure will be described as an optional component. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of a space purification system 100 according to an embodiment. The space purification system 100 is a device that, when circulating air in an indoor space 62 (also referred to as "room"), adds air purification ingredients along with atomized water to the air (RA: Return Air) from the indoor space 62. The space purification system 100 sterilizes and deodorizes the indoor space 62 by supplying the air (SA: Supply Air) that has circulated inside it to the indoor space 62. Here, hypochlorous acid is used as the air purification ingredient, and the water containing the air purification ingredient is hypochlorous acid water.

As shown in FIG. 1, the space purification system 100 includes a space purification device 10, an operating device 70, a duct 64a, a duct 64c, a low-reactivity duct 67a, and a low-reactivity duct 67c. In this embodiment, the low-reactivity duct 67a and the low-reactivity duct 67c are collectively referred to as duct 67.

Figure 2 shows the configuration of the space purification device 10 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the space purification device 10 includes a housing 1, a purification air duct 5, a micronization unit 14, an electrolyzed water generation unit 19, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter 11, a purification transport fan 12, a temperature and humidity sensor 40, and a control unit 41.

As shown in Figure 2, the housing 1 forms the outer shell of the space purification device 10. The housing 1 has an intake port 2a, an intake port 2c, an exhaust port 3a, and an exhaust port 3c. In this embodiment, the intake port 2a and the intake port 2c are collectively referred to as the intake port 2, and the exhaust port 3a and the exhaust port 3c are collectively referred to as the exhaust port 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the intake port 2a and the intake port 2c are located on one side of the housing 1. The exhaust port 3a and the exhaust port 3c are located on the other side of the housing 1 (the side opposite to the one side of the housing 1).

Intake ports 2a and 2c are intakes that respectively take in air 8a and air 8c outside the housing 1 obtained from the indoor space 62 into the space purification device 10. The air 8a and air 8c obtained from the indoor space 62 can also be called unconditioned air of the indoor space 62, whose temperature is not regulated, or temperature-regulated air, whose temperature is regulated by an air conditioner or the like separately installed in the indoor space 62.

As shown in FIG. 1, air inlet 2a is connected to an indoor air inlet 65a provided on the ceiling or other surface of indoor space 62 via duct 64a. Air inlet 2c is connected to an indoor air inlet 65c provided on the ceiling or other surface of indoor space 62 via duct 64c. This allows air inlet 2a to draw air 8a from indoor space 62 into the space purification device 10 through indoor air inlet 65a. Air inlet 2c can draw air 8c from indoor space 62 into the space purification device 10 through indoor air inlet 65c.

It is also possible not to provide the indoor air inlet 65c. In this case, one end of the duct 64a may be connected to the indoor air inlet 65a, and the other end of the duct 64a may be branched and connected to the air inlet 2a and the air inlet 2c.

Air outlet 3a is an outlet that discharges air 9a (SA) that has circulated through the space purification device 10 into the indoor space 62. Air 9a contains finely divided hypochlorous acid water. Air outlet 3c is an outlet that discharges air 9c (SA) that has circulated through the space purification device 10 into the indoor space 62. Air 9c also contains finely divided hypochlorous acid water.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air outlet 3a is connected to an indoor air outlet 68a provided on the ceiling or other surface of the indoor space 62 via a low-reactivity duct 67a. The air outlet 3c is connected to an indoor air outlet 68c provided on the ceiling or other surface of the indoor space 62 via a low-reactivity duct 67c. This allows the air outlet 3a to blow air 9a that has circulated through the space purification device 10 out from the indoor air outlet 68a toward the indoor space 62. The air outlet 3c is able to blow air 9c that has circulated through the space purification device 10 out from the indoor air outlet 68c toward the indoor space 62.

Note that the air outlet 3a and the air outlet 3c are not distinguishable from each other; for example, the air outlet 3c need not be provided. In this case, one end of the low-reactivity duct 67a may be connected to the air outlet 3a, and the other end of the low-reactivity duct 67a may be branched and connected to the indoor air outlet 68a and the indoor air outlet 68c.

Low-reactivity duct 67a and low-reactivity duct 67c are both ducts connected downstream of purified air duct 5, and have inner walls made of a low-reactivity material that reacts poorly with hypochlorous acid water. The low-reactivity material is, for example, a polyolefin-based material. The polyolefin-based material includes, for example, at least one of polyethylene and polypropylene.

As shown in Figure 2, the purification air duct 5 is provided within the housing 1 and connects the intake 2 (intake 2a and intake 2c) to the outlet 3 (outlet 3a and outlet 3c).

The purified air duct 5 is an air duct through which both air 8a and air 8c flow. The purified air duct 5 can also be described as an air duct through which a mixture of air 8a and air 8c flows. The purified air duct 5 is equipped with a HEPA filter 11, an electrolyzed water generator 19, a purified conveying fan 12, and a micronization unit 14, arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. More specifically, the electrolyzed water generator 19 is located upstream of the purified conveying fan 12, adjacent to the fan's intake port (not shown). The micronization unit 14 is located downstream of the purified conveying fan 12, adjacent to the fan's exhaust port (not shown). A temperature and humidity sensor 40 is also located between the HEPA filter 11 and the purified conveying fan 12 in the purified air duct 5. The temperature and humidity sensor 40 measures the temperature and humidity of the air passing through the HEPA filter 11 and outputs the measured values to the control unit 41.

The HEPA filter 11 is an air filter that removes dirt, dust, and other particles from the air that flows into the space purification device 10 and outputs purified air. The HEPA filter 11 is located adjacent to the air inlets 2a and 2c.

The purifying conveying fan 12 is a device for transporting air that has passed through the HEPA filter 11 along the purified air duct 5 to the atomization section 14. The purifying conveying fan 12 generates the air flow in the purified air duct 5. The purifying conveying fan 12 draws in air from the intake port 2 and blows it sequentially through the atomization section 14 and the outlet port 3 to the duct 67. More specifically, the purifying conveying fan 12 is a double-intake centrifugal fan. A known configuration can be used for the centrifugal fan. The purifying conveying fan 12 draws in air from intake ports (not shown) located on the left and right sides of the atomization section 14, and transports the air from an outlet port (not shown) to the atomization section 14. An electrolyzed water generator 19 is located upstream of the intake port (not shown) located on the left side of the purifying conveying fan 12.

The airflow, i.e., the rotation speed, of the purification transport fan 12 is controlled in response to an output signal from the control unit 41. When the purification transport fan 12 is operating, air is sent to the micronization unit 14.

The atomization unit 14 is a unit for humidifying the air taken into the purification air duct 5. During humidification, it adds hypochlorous acid along with atomized water to the air taken in from the purification conveying fan 12. The atomization unit 14 dilutes the hypochlorous acid water generated by the electrolyzed water generation unit 19 with water, atomizes the diluted hypochlorous acid water by centrifugal crushing, and releases it into the air. The atomized hypochlorous acid water is released outside the housing 1 from the outlet 3 with its liquid components evaporated.

The micronization unit 14 has a centrifugal crushing unit and a mixing tank (not shown). The micronization unit 14 rotates the centrifugal crushing unit using a humidification motor (not shown), and uses centrifugal force to suck up the hypochlorous acid water stored in the mixing tank (hypochlorous acid water produced by the electrolyzed water generation unit 19 and water supplied from a water supply unit (not shown) and dilute it in the mixing tank, causing it to scatter, collide, and crush in the surrounding area (centrifugal direction), and moisture is absorbed into the air passing through.

The micronization unit 14 adjusts the humidification capacity (amount of humidification) by changing the rotation speed of the humidification motor in response to an output signal from the control unit 41. The amount of humidification can also be thought of as the amount of air purification component added to the air. The control unit 41 controls the rotation speed of the centrifugal crushing unit based on the humidity measurement value detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 72.

The electrolyzed water generator 19 is located upstream of the purification conveying fan 12 in the purification air duct 5. The electrolyzed water generator 19 has an electrolytic cell 20 and a salt water tank 23. The electrolyzed water generator 19 dilutes salt water (sodium chloride aqueous solution) stored in the salt water tank 23 to a predetermined concentration in the electrolytic cell 20 and performs electrolysis to generate hypochlorous acid water of a predetermined concentration. The electrolyzed water generator 19 can also be called a hypochlorous acid water generator or a mixed water generator.

The electrolyzed water generator 19 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of the electrolyzed water generator 19 in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the electrolyzed water generator 19 in Figure 3 taken along line A-A.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the electrolytic cell 20 in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the electrolytic cell 20 in Figure 2, viewed from a different angle than Figure 5. Figures 5 and 6 show the electrolytic cell 20 cut along line B-B in Figure 3.

For ease of explanation, as shown in the figure, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is defined, with the horizontal direction along the longitudinal direction of the electrolyzed water generator 19 being the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction being the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to both, i.e., the vertical direction, being the Z direction.

The electrolyzed water generator 19 includes an electrolytic cell 20, electrodes 21, a water supply unit 30, a salt water supply unit 32, a water stop unit 34, and an electrolyzed water transport unit 28. The salt water supply unit 22 includes a salt water tank 23, a salt water transport pump 24, a check valve 25, and a flow path 26.

For clarity of illustration, the saltwater tank 23 and saltwater transfer pump 24 are omitted from Figure 3, the electrode 21 is omitted from Figures 4 to 6, and the water supply unit 30 and saltwater supply unit 32 are omitted from Figures 5 and 6.

The electrolytic cell 20 shown in Figures 3 to 6 stores a mixture of water and saltwater to be electrolyzed. The electrolytic cell 20 can also be called a mixing cell. The mixed water is saltwater diluted to a predetermined concentration. The electrolytic cell 20 has an electrolysis region 36 and a water supply channel 38.

The electrolysis region 36 is an area where plate-shaped electrodes 21 (see Figure 3) for electrolysis are placed. The bottom surface 50 of the electrolysis region 36 in the electrolytic cell 20 slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side along the X direction.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, water is supplied from the water supply channel 38 to the upstream side of the electrolysis region 36. Ribs 51 are provided on the bottom surface 50 of the electrolysis region 36 downstream of the position where water is supplied from the water supply channel 38. One rib 51 is disposed on each side of the electrode 21 in the Y direction. The ribs 51 are approximately rectangular plates in a plan view, with the plate surface aligned in the Y direction and rising from the bottom surface 50 in the Z direction.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a curved surface 53 is provided between the inner surface 52 on the downstream side of the electrolytic cell 20 and the bottom surface 50. The curved surface 53 is formed in a concave curved shape.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the water supply channel 38 is disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the electrolysis region 36 in the Y direction, and water flows toward the electrolysis region 36. The water supply channel 38 includes a first inclined surface 54 and a second inclined surface 55. In Figure 6, the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 55 are depicted with diagonal lines. The first inclined surface 54 slopes downward in the X direction. The second inclined surface 55 is disposed downstream of the first inclined surface 54, slopes downward in the Y direction, and is connected to the bottom surface 50 of the electrolysis region 36.

The water supply unit 30 shown in Figures 3 and 4 supplies water from a water pipe external to the space purification device 10 to the water supply channel 38 in response to an output signal from the control unit 41. The water supply unit 30 is positioned above the first inclined surface 54, and causes water to flow out onto the first inclined surface 54 from the outlet 30a of the water supply unit 30.

The saltwater supply unit 32 shown in Figures 3 and 4 supplies saltwater to the water supply channel 38 downstream of the position where water is supplied from the water supply unit 30 in response to an output signal from the control unit 41 when the water supply unit 30 is supplying water. The amount of saltwater supplied at one time can be determined appropriately through experiments or simulations, and may be, for example, approximately 1/1000 of the amount of water supplied at one time.

The saltwater tank 23 shown in FIG. 4 stores highly concentrated saltwater (aqueous sodium chloride solution). This saltwater is, for example, saturated salt water. The saltwater tank 23 is connected to a tubular flow path 26 via a saltwater transfer pump 24. A check valve 25 is disposed in the flow path 26 upstream of the outlet 27 of the flow path 26. When the saltwater transfer pump 24 begins its transfer operation in response to an output signal from the control unit 41, the saltwater in the saltwater tank 23 passes through the saltwater transfer pump 24, check valve 25, and flow path 26, and flows out of the outlet 27 of the flow path 26 onto the second inclined surface 55. The portion of the flow path 26 located between the check valve 25 and the outlet 27 is also referred to as the "nozzle" of the saltwater supply unit 32.

The outlet 27 shown in Figure 4 is located above the second inclined surface 55, in a position where it is submerged in the mixed water when the electrolytic cell 20 is full. The outlet 27 is located below the water level L1 when the electrolytic cell 20 is full. The outlet 27 remains submerged in the mixed water or the hypochlorous acid water produced by electrolysis, even while the mixed water is being electrolyzed by current. This prevents water from evaporating from the saltwater inside the outlet 27 and prevents the outlet 27 from becoming clogged with solidified salt.

The check valve 25 shown in Figure 4 is positioned so that it is not submerged in the mixed water. The check valve 25 is positioned above the water level L1 when the electrolytic cell 20 is full. The check valve 25 may also be positioned outside the housing of the electrolytic cell 20. This prevents the mixed water from flowing back into the flow path 26 through a gap at the connection between the check valve 25 and the flow path 26.

When the saltwater transfer pump 24 stops transferring water, the check valve 25 operates, preventing mixed water and saltwater from flowing back from the outlet 27 toward the saltwater transfer pump 24.

The water stop unit 34 shown in Figures 3 to 6 is a water level sensor that detects when the water level in the electrolytic cell 20 has reached the full water level L1 and supplies the detection result to the control unit 41. When the control unit 41 detects that the water level has reached L1, it causes the water supply unit 30 to stop supplying water.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, water supplied to the first inclined surface 54 flows in the direction of arrow A1 to reach the second inclined surface 55, and then flows along the second inclined surface 55 in the direction of arrow A2 to reach the electrolysis region 36.

When the water supply unit 30 is supplying water, saltwater is supplied to the water supply channel 38 downstream of the position where water is supplied from the water supply unit 30. This allows the water and saltwater to be effectively mixed by the force of water flowing from the water supply channel 38 to the electrolysis region 36. By supplying saltwater while water is being supplied, it is possible to prevent the salt concentration downstream in the electrolysis region 36 from becoming higher than the salt concentration upstream. This increases the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water within the electrolysis region 36.

On the other hand, in a comparative example in which salt water is supplied to the water supply channel 38 first, followed by water, the majority of the salt water flows downstream of the electrolysis region 36 due to the water flow, and is difficult to agitate with the water supplied afterwards, resulting in a high concentration downstream of the electrolysis region 36 and a low concentration upstream.

Here, when the water and brine that reach the electrolysis region 36 from the second inclined surface 55 flow downstream along the inclined bottom surface 50, the flow is temporarily blocked by the ribs 51, allowing the mixed water and brine to be agitated. Since brine, which is heavier than water, flows easily along the bottom surface 50, the flow of the brine is easily blocked by the ribs 51, allowing the brine to flow in various directions, resulting in efficient agitation. An example of the direction in which the water and brine flow disrupted by the ribs 51 is shown by arrow A3 in Figure 3. This also increases the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water.

In addition, the curved surface 53 provided between the inner surface 52 on the downstream side of the electrolytic cell 20 and the bottom surface 50 allows the brine that reaches the downstream side of the electrolytic cell 20 to move upward along the curved surface 53 and be returned to the upstream side, allowing the mixed water to be agitated even on the downstream side. This also increases the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water.

In this way, water and saltwater are mixed in the electrolytic cell 20. The mixture of saltwater and water can also be called saltwater with a lower concentration than saturated salt water.

As shown in Figure 3, the electrode 21 is placed inside the electrolytic cell 20, and in response to an output signal from the control unit 41, for example, when the electrolytic cell 20 is detected to be full of water, it electrolyzes the mixed water by passing electricity through it, producing electrolyzed water, which is hypochlorous acid water with a predetermined concentration.

In other words, the electrolytic cell 20 generates hypochlorous acid water by electrolyzing an aqueous chloride solution (e.g., salt water) as the electrolyte. The electrolyte is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of generating hypochlorous acid water and contains even a small amount of chloride ions. For example, an aqueous solution containing sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, or the like as a solute can be used. Hydrochloric acid is also acceptable. In this embodiment, an aqueous chloride solution (salt water) in which sodium chloride is added to water is used as the electrolyte.

The electrolyzed water transport unit 28 supplies electrolyzed water, i.e., hypochlorous acid water, which is the mixed water obtained after electrolysis, from the electrolytic cell 20 to the mixing tank of the micro-atomization unit 14 in response to an output signal from the control unit 41. The electrolyzed water transport unit 28 can also be called a hypochlorous acid water supply unit or transport unit. The electrolyzed water transport unit 28 sends out almost the entire amount of hypochlorous acid water in the electrolytic cell 20 to the water supply pipe 29. The water supply pipe 29 is connected between the electrolyzed water transport unit 28 and the micro-atomization unit 14, and transports the hypochlorous acid water toward the micro-atomization unit 14.

The water supply time from when the water supply unit 30 starts to supply water until it stops is longer than the saltwater supply time from when the saltwater supply unit 32 starts to supply saltwater until it stops. The saltwater supply unit 32 starts supplying saltwater a predetermined first time after the water supply unit 30 starts to supply water. The first time can be determined appropriately through experiments or simulations to increase the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water, and may be, for example, several seconds. After the saltwater supply unit 32 stops supplying saltwater, the water supply unit 30 stops supplying water.

The first time is set so that the timing when half the salt water supply time has elapsed since the salt water supply unit 32 started supplying salt water is earlier than the timing when half the water supply time has elapsed since the water supply unit 30 started supplying water. As an example, the water supply time may be around 20 seconds, the salt water supply time may be 6 seconds, and the first time may be 5 seconds. The water supply time and salt water supply time may also be appropriately determined through experimentation or simulation depending on the capacity of the electrolytic cell 20, the water pressure, etc.

If the supply of salt water is too slow while water is being supplied, the water and salt water tend to not mix well. However, by setting the first time as described above, the supply of salt water does not become too slow even if the length of the water supply time varies due to changes in water pressure, etc. This makes it possible to improve the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water in the electrolysis region 36.

The water supply unit 30 stops supplying water when the electrolytic cell 20 is full, and starts supplying water after a predetermined second time has elapsed when the electrolytic water transport unit 28 transports electrolytic water to the micronization unit 14 and the electrolytic cell 20 runs dry. The second time can be determined appropriately through experiments or simulations and may be, for example, several tens of seconds. In this way, the outlet 27 of the flow path 26 is immersed in the mixed water or hypochlorous acid water for most of the time. This more reliably suppresses evaporation of water from the saltwater inside the outlet 27.

Although not shown, another water supply unit is also connected to the micronization unit 14. The other water supply unit supplies water to the mixing tank of the micronization unit 14 in response to an output signal from the control unit 41.

In this way, hypochlorous acid water and water are mixed in the mixing tank of the micronization unit 14. The mixture of hypochlorous acid water and water can also be called hypochlorous acid water. The micronization unit 14 sprays hypochlorous acid water into the indoor space 62 by centrifugal crushing the mixture of hypochlorous acid water and water stored in the mixing tank.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operating device 70 is installed on a wall of the indoor space 62. The operating device 70 has a user interface that can be operated by the user, and accepts humidity setting values and operation mode settings from the user. Operation modes include modes that specify the amount of hypochlorous acid in the air, such as deodorizing mode, sterilizing mode, and normal mode. The operating device 70 includes a temperature and humidity sensor 72, which measures the temperature and humidity of the air in the indoor space 62. Known technology can be used to measure the temperature and humidity using the temperature and humidity sensor 72, so a description of this will be omitted here.

The operating device 70 is connected to the control unit 41 via a wired or wireless connection and transmits the humidity setting value, humidity measurement value, and operation mode information to the control unit 41. This information may be transmitted all together, any two or more pieces of information may be transmitted together, or each piece may be transmitted separately.

The control unit 41 controls the purification conveying fan 12, the electrolyzed water generator 19, and the micronization unit 14. The control unit 41 controls the amount of hypochlorous acid water and water supplied to the micronization unit 14, thereby controlling the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water from the micronization unit 14. More specifically, the control unit 41 controls the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water based on the required amount of humidification. For example, when a small amount of humidification is required, the control unit 41 increases the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water. This allows the required amount of hypochlorous acid to be met while maintaining appropriate humidity. On the other hand, when a large amount of humidification is required, if the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water is high, a large amount of hypochlorous acid will be supplied to the indoor space 62 along with a large amount of moisture, increasing the hypochlorous acid concentration in the indoor space 62. This will result in a strong hypochlorous acid odor in the indoor space 62, which, depending on the amount, may be uncomfortable for users. Therefore, when a large amount of humidification is required, the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water can be reduced to increase the amount of humidification sent to the indoor space 62 while reducing the amount of hypochlorous acid. Thus, the control unit 41 can simultaneously control the amount of hypochlorous acid and humidity released.

The control unit 41 may also control the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water from the micronization unit 14 based on the required amount of hypochlorous acid. For example, when the required amount of humidification is small, the control unit 41 increases the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water as the required amount of hypochlorous acid increases. On the other hand, when the required amount of humidification is large, the control unit 41 decreases the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the mixed water as the required amount of hypochlorous acid increases.

The subject of the device, system, or method disclosed herein comprises a computer. When this computer executes a program, the functions of the subject of the device, system, or method disclosed herein are realized. The computer's main hardware configuration is a processor that operates according to the program. The processor may be of any type, as long as it can realize the functions by executing the program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integration (LSIs). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip, or may be provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device, or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable read-only memory (ROM), optical disc, or hard disk drive. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

In this embodiment, when the electrolytic cell 20 is full, the outlet 27 of the brine supply unit 32 is immersed in the mixed water, making it difficult for water to evaporate from the brine inside the outlet 27. This prevents solidified salt from clogging the outlet 27.

Furthermore, when the water supply unit 30 is supplying water, salt water is supplied to the water supply channel 38 downstream of the position where water is supplied from the water supply unit 30. Therefore, the force of water flowing from the water supply channel 38 to the electrolysis region 36 can agitate the water and salt water, preventing the salt concentration downstream from becoming higher than the salt concentration upstream in the electrolysis region 36. This increases the uniformity of the concentration of the mixed water within the electrolysis region 36. It is also possible to increase the uniformity of the concentration in a relatively short period of time. Increased uniformity of the mixed water concentration allows for uniform electrolysis over a wide area of the electrode 21, improving electrolysis efficiency and increasing the uniformity of the concentration of the hypochlorous acid water. Furthermore, increased uniformity of the mixed water concentration reduces the conductivity of the mixed water, allowing for a lower voltage to be applied to the electrode 21 during electrolysis, thereby reducing the power consumption required for electrolysis.

The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the embodiment, water and high-concentration brine are mixed in the electrolytic cell 20. However, water and high-concentration brine may be mixed in a mixing cell separate from the electrolytic cell 20 to produce a low-concentration brine mixture. In this modification, the mixing cell is provided with a transport unit with the same function as the electrolyzed water transport unit 28. The transport unit supplies the mixed water from the mixing cell to the electrolytic cell 20, and the electrolytic cell 20 electrolyzes the supplied mixed water. The water supply unit 30 supplies water to the mixing cell, and the brine supply unit 32 supplies brine to the mixing cell. The outlet 27 is positioned so that it is immersed in the mixed water when the mixing cell is full. The placement of the check valve 25 and the relationship between the water level in the mixing cell and the timing of water supply are also the same as in the embodiment. This modification also prevents solidified salt from clogging the outlet 27.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. A mixed water generating device (19) of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a mixing tank (20) that stores a mixture of water and salt water, a water supply unit (30) that supplies water to the mixing tank (20), and a salt water supply unit (32) that has an outlet (27) through which the salt water flows and supplies salt water to the mixing tank (20). The outlet (27) is positioned so that it is immersed in the mixed water when the mixing tank (20) is full of water.

The saltwater supply unit (32) may have an outlet (27), a flow path (26) through which saltwater flows, and a check valve (25) arranged in the flow path (26) upstream of the outlet (27).

The check valve (25) may be located in a position where it is not submerged in the mixed water. The check valve (25) may also be located outside the housing of the mixing tank (20).

The mixed water generating device (19) may include a conveying unit (28) that conveys the mixed water in the mixing tank (20) out of the mixing tank (20). The water supply unit (30) may stop supplying water when the mixing tank (20) is full of water, and may start supplying water when the mixed water is conveyed by the conveying unit (28) and the mixing tank (20) becomes depleted.

The mixing tank (20) may be an electrolytic tank having electrodes (21) for electrolyzing the mixed water.

The mixed water generating device (19) may be supplied with mixed water from the mixing tank (20) and may include an electrolytic cell having electrodes for electrolyzing the mixed water.

The mixed water generating device disclosed herein is useful as a device for mixing water and salt water.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing, 2, 2a, 2c Intake port, 3, 3a, 3c Outlet, 5 Purified air duct, 8a, 8c, 9a, 9c Air, 10 Space purification device, 11 HEPA filter, 12 Purified transport fan, 14 Micronization section, 19 Electrolyzed water generation section (mixed water generation device), 20 Electrolytic cell (mixing cell), 21 Electrode, 23 Brine tank, 24 Brine transport pump, 25 Check valve, 26 Flow path, 27 Outlet, 28 Electrolyzed water transport section (transport section), 29 Water supply pipe, 30 Water supply section, 32 Brine supply section, 34 Water stop section, 36 Electrolysis area, 38 Water supply channel, 40 Temperature and humidity sensor, 41 Control section, 50 Bottom surface, 51 Rib, 52 Inner surface, 53 curved surface, 54 first inclined surface, 55 second inclined surface, 62 indoor space, 64a, 64c duct, 65a, 65c indoor air inlet, 67 duct, 67a, 67c low-reactivity duct, 68a, 68c indoor air outlet, 70 operating device, 72 temperature and humidity sensor, 100 space purification system.

Claims (6)

a mixing tank for storing a mixture of water and salt water;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the mixing tank;
a saltwater supply unit having an outlet through which saltwater flows out and supplying saltwater to the mixing tank;
Equipped with
the outlet is located above a bottom surface of the mixing tank and below a water level when the mixing tank is full of water, and is disposed at a position where it is immersed in the mixed water when the mixing tank is full of water;
The salt water supply unit
a flow path having the outlet and through which the saltwater flows;
a check valve disposed in the flow path upstream of the outlet;
A mixed water generating device having the above structure. The mixed water generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the check valve is disposed at a position where it is not immersed in the mixed water. The mixed water generating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the check valve is disposed outside the housing of the mixing tank. a conveying unit that conveys the mixed water in the mixing tank to the outside of the mixing tank;
4. The mixed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water supply unit stops supplying water when the mixing tank is full of water, and starts supplying water when the mixed water is transported by the transport unit and the mixing tank becomes dry . 5. The mixed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing tank is an electrolytic tank having electrodes for electrolyzing the mixed water. 5. The mixed water generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electrolytic cell to which the mixed water is supplied from the mixing tank and which has electrodes for electrolyzing the mixed water.