JPH09304331A - Hardness sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate defective voltage caused by failure of a reference electrode chamber by providing a partition plate, composed of a porous material at the bottom of the reference electrode chamber and projecting the tip part of a reference electrode element downward of this partition plate. SOLUTION: This hardness sensor 1 incorporates an ion electrode part 3 and a reference electrode part 4 integrally in an electrode main body 2. A partition plate 21 composed of a porous material is provided at the bottom part of a reference electrode chamber 6. This partition plate 21 flows a solid material of potassium chloride which is left in a reference electrode inner liquid 18 (saturated liquid of potassium chloride), filling the inside of the reference electrode chamber 6 in an undissolved state, without any precipitation so that only the reference electrode inner liquid 18 is made to flow down. Therefore, if the residual solid substance is parted, the tip part of the reference element 12 is projected to the bottom part of the partition plate 21 and conducted, via a liquid connecting member 17 and the reference electrode inner liquid 18, so that defective voltage is prevented from being generated. The hardness of the liquid to be measured can be surely measured thereby.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hardness sensor attached to a water softener or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a conventional hardness sensor 31 has a structure in which a reference electrode portion 32 and an ion electrode portion 33 are built in an electrode body 34.
The ion concentration (hardness) of the measured liquid is measured by immersing 2, 33 in the measured liquid and detecting the potential difference between both electrodes. The reference electrode part 32 is provided in the reference electrode chamber 3
5, electrode element (silver chloride) 36 and the reference electrode chamber 35
The liquid junction member 37 is made of a porous material and is inserted into the hole opened at the bottom of the reference electrode, and the reference electrode internal liquid 38 filled in the reference electrode chamber 35. The reference electrode internal liquid 38 is a saturated liquid of potassium chloride, and potassium chloride powder is mixed in the liquid. By the way, as shown in FIG. 3, the undissolved powder of potassium chloride collects between the electrode element 36 and the liquid junction member 37 in the reference electrode chamber 35, and the reference electrode internal liquid 38 is vertically divided. It may be done. This division of the reference electrode internal liquid 38 causes the reference electrode internal liquid 38 to communicate with the measured liquid side via the liquid junction member 37, and the saturated liquid of potassium chloride is diluted. The lumps are generated by unnatural dissolution. By the way, if this division occurs, electrical connection cannot be established between the electrode element 36 and the liquid junction member 37, and the comparison electrode section 32 will have a voltage failure, which will hinder the hardness measurement of the measured liquid. become.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to eliminate a voltage defect caused by a defect in the comparison electrode chamber of the hardness sensor.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the invention according to claim 1 provides an ion electrode portion provided with an ion electrode element and a reference electrode element. In a hardness sensor having a reference electrode portion and a built-in reference electrode portion in the electrode body, a partition plate made of a porous material is provided in the lower portion of the reference electrode chamber forming the reference electrode portion, and the reference electrode element below The hardness of the invention is characterized in that the tip portion is protruded, and the invention according to claim 2 has an ion main body including an ion electrode portion including an ion electrode element and a reference electrode portion including a reference electrode element. In the above, in the comparison electrode chamber that constitutes the comparison electrode portion, a conduction member that conducts through the comparison electrode internal liquid is extended from an upper portion to a lower portion of the comparison electrode chamber.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present invention is realized by a hardness sensor attached to a water softener. The hardness sensor has a structure in which a reference electrode portion and an ion electrode portion are built in an electrode body, and both of the electrode portions are immersed in a liquid to be measured and the potential difference between the two electrodes is detected to be measured. The ion concentration (hardness) of the liquid is measured. The reference electrode section according to the present invention is inserted in a reference electrode chamber, a reference electrode internal liquid (saturated potassium chloride solution) filled in the reference electrode chamber, a reference electrode element, and a hole opened at the bottom of the reference electrode chamber. The liquid junction member is made of a porous material. In this invention, a partition plate made of a porous material (for example, urethane) is provided at a predetermined position above the liquid junction member, the reference electrode element is penetrated through this partition plate, and the tip portion thereof is projected below the partition plate. It was made.

In the internal liquid of the reference electrode, undissolved solid material of potassium chloride remains, and the remaining potassium chloride divides between the tip portion of the electrode element and the liquid junction member, There may be poor continuity. Therefore, the partition plate is provided to prevent the remaining potassium chloride from falling, and the reference electrode element is penetrated through the lower part of the partition plate. That is, potassium chloride saturated liquid is stored between the lower portion of the partition plate and the liquid junction member, the remaining potassium chloride is placed on the upper portion of the partition plate,
A saturated solution of potassium chloride is stored on top of it. Therefore, even when the potassium chloride remaining on the upper part of the partition plate is solidified and divided, the reference electrode element and the liquid junction member are electrically connected through the potassium chloride saturated liquid, so that the voltage at the reference electrode part No defects will occur.

Further, a conductive member that conducts through the internal liquid of the reference electrode is provided in the reference electrode chamber so as to extend from the upper part to the lower part of the reference electrode chamber, so that the occurrence of a voltage defect in the reference electrode part. Can be prevented.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing a cross section of a hardness sensor in a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the hardness sensor 1 of the present invention is shown.
Is a structure in which the ion electrode part 3 and the reference electrode part 4 are integrally built in the electrode body 2, and the ion electrode part 3 and the reference electrode part 4 are dipped in the liquid to be measured. , 4 is used to measure the ion concentration (hardness) of the liquid to be measured.

The ion electrode part 3 and the reference electrode part 4 built in the electrode body 2 both form a cylindrical ion electrode chamber 5 and a reference electrode chamber 6 in the electrode body 2, and both electrode chambers are formed. Openings 7 and 8 are provided in the lower portions of the electrodes 5 and 6, respectively, and holes 9 and 10 for inserting and fastening electrode elements described later are provided in the upper portions of the electrode chambers 5 and 6, respectively. Has been. In the both electrode chambers 5 and 6,
An ion electrode element 11 and a reference electrode element 12 each having a predetermined length are inserted, and an upper part of each of them is electrically insulating material 13,
It is fixed to the insulating materials 13 and 14 in a state of protruding through 14 respectively. The two insulating materials 13 and 14 are inserted into the holes 9 and 10 provided in the upper portions of the two electrode chambers 5 and 6 by appropriate means. On the other hand, the ion electrode chamber 5
An ion selective film 15 is deposited on the opening 7 provided in the lower part of so as to cover the opening 7. Through this ion selective membrane 15, the ion selective electrode internal liquid 16 filled in the ion electrode chamber 5 and the external liquid to be measured are configured to be in a conductive state for specific ions.
Further, in the opening 8 provided in the lower portion of the comparison electrode chamber 6,
A liquid junction member 17 made of a porous material is inserted and inserted so that the reference electrode internal liquid 18 filled in the reference electrode chamber 6 and the external liquid to be measured communicate with each other through the liquid junction member 17. Is configured. Reference numeral 19 in the drawing is a cable, and reference numeral 20 is a cap.

In the reference electrode chamber 6 according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a porous material (for example, urethane) is used at a predetermined position (a position where the reference electrode element 12 can penetrate) in the reference electrode chamber 6. A partition plate 21 is provided. The partition plate 21 does not cause a solid portion of potassium chloride, which remains undissolved in the reference electrode internal liquid 18 (saturated liquid of potassium chloride) filled in the reference electrode chamber 6, to precipitate in the lower portion. It is provided for this purpose, and only the reference electrode internal liquid 18 is allowed to flow down. Therefore, even if the remaining solid matter is divided, the reference electrode element 12
Since the tip end of the electrode protrudes to the lower part of the partition plate 21 and is electrically connected to the liquid junction member 17 through the internal liquid 18 of the reference electrode, no voltage failure occurs.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be omitted.

In FIG. 2, this second embodiment has the same structure as that of the first embodiment, but instead of the partition plate 21 provided in the reference electrode chamber 6, the reference electrode internal liquid 18 is used. A conductive member 22 that is electrically connected to each other is extended from the upper part to the lower part of the reference electrode chamber 6. That is,
As the conducting member 22, for example, a sponge made of a porous material or an ion conductive substance (for example, agar mixed with potassium chloride) formed in a string shape or a band shape is used. Then, the conductive member 22 is extended from the upper portion to the lower portion of the peripheral wall portion or the central portion in the comparison electrode chamber 6. Therefore, even if the remaining solid matter is divided,
The reference electrode internal liquid 18 permeates the conduction member 22,
Since the conductive state is maintained, no voltage failure will occur.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the conductive state is always maintained, even if the remaining solid matter is divided, the voltage failure does not occur and the hardness of the measured liquid can be improved. It can be measured reliably.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view showing a first embodiment of a hardness sensor embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional explanatory view showing a second embodiment of the hardness sensor embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of a conventional hardness sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hardness Sensor 2 Electrode Body 3 Ion Electrode Part 4 Reference Electrode Part 6 Reference Electrode Chamber 11 Ion Electrode Element 12 Reference Electrode Element 18 Reference Electrode Internal Liquid 21 Partition Plate 22 Conductive Member

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] July 15, 1996

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Brief description of drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view showing a first embodiment of a hardness sensor embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional explanatory view showing a second embodiment of the hardness sensor embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of a conventional hardness sensor.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 1 hardness sensor 2 electrode body 3 ion electrode part 4 reference electrode part 6 reference electrode chamber 11 ion electrode element 12 reference electrode element 18 reference electrode internal liquid 21 partition plate 22 conductive member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hardness sensor 1 in which an ion electrode portion 3 having an ion electrode element 11 and a comparison electrode portion 4 having a comparison electrode element 12 are incorporated in an electrode body 2, a comparison which constitutes the comparison electrode portion 4 is made. A hardness sensor characterized in that a partition plate 21 made of a porous material is provided in the lower part of the electrode chamber 6, and a tip portion of the reference electrode element 12 is projected below the partition plate 21. 2. A hardness sensor 1 in which an ion electrode part 3 having an ion electrode element 11 and a comparison electrode part 4 having a comparison electrode element 12 are incorporated in an electrode body 2, a comparison which constitutes the comparison electrode part 4. In the electrode chamber 6, the reference electrode internal liquid 18
A hardness sensor, characterized in that a conducting member (22) conducting through a member is extended from the upper part to the lower part of the comparison electrode chamber (6).