JPH1066657A - Hot water circulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit the multiplication of useless unwanted bacteria and microorganisms in the filtering device of a hot water circulation device. SOLUTION: This hot water circulation device 10 circulates bathing water through a piping system 26 by a pump 16 so as to purify the bathing water taken from the inside of a bathtub 32 in the filtering device 20, heat it to a prescribed temperature and then return it to the bathtub 32. In this case, a part of the piping system on a water take-in side from the filtering device 20 is arranged heat exchangeably to the high temperature side part 22A of an electronic cooling device 22, and by the high temperature side part 22A, the bathing water to be sent into the filtering device 20 is heated to a temperature at which purifying bacteria with excellent heat resistance characteristics multiplied inside the filtering device 20 can live for annihilating the other useless unwanted bacteria or microorganisms. A part on the side of an ejection part 24 from the filtering device 20 of the piping system is arranged heat- exchangeably to the lower temperature side part 22B of the electronic cooling device 22, hot water discharged from the inside of the filtering device 20 is cooled to the prescribed temperature for bathing or heat insulation, and then, the bathing water is circulated back into the bathtub 32.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hot water circulator for removing bath water in a bath tub, purifying it by the action of microorganisms, and returning the purified water to the bath tub again.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, hot water circulators, which purify hot water in a bathtub by the action of a filtering material and microorganisms, return the bathwater to the bathtub, and are always used, have been used at home.

[0003] This hot water circulator uses a pump to remove bath water from a water intake section disposed in a bathtub, from which relatively large debris such as hair, towel lint, and a portion of reds have been removed through a pre-filter. The collected bath water is passed through a sterilizer to sterilize bacteria in the bath water, and is further passed through a filtration tank to adsorb ammonia, red, and fats in the bath water, and decompose organic substances by the action of microorganisms to purify the bath water. Is heated to a required temperature by a heater and then returned to a bathtub through a discharge section. Thereby, the bath water is purified and heated without changing the bath water every day, so that the bath can be taken at any time for 24 hours, and the bath can be used very conveniently and water is saved.

[0004] The mechanism of purification of water quality of the hot water circulator is as follows. That is, coarse dust such as hair is filtered by a prefilter (for example, a hair catcher) made of urethane foam or the like.

[0005] Further, bacteria derived from the human body taking a bath are sterilized by a sterilizer that sterilizes with ultraviolet rays, ozone and the like.

[0006] Organic matter (keratinized skin such as amino acids and proteins contained in body fluids) and the like secreted from the body in the bath water are decomposed in the filtration tank and continuously purified.

Here, the principle of purifying organic matter secreted from the body in a filtration tank will be described below. That is, the filtering tank contains a natural stone such as barley stone, or a filtering material such as a granular ceramic obtained by crushing such a natural stone and sintering it in a porous state. When bath water is circulated in the filtration tank, organic substances are adsorbed on the filter medium, and microorganisms propagate. Then, the purified microorganisms, which are the propagated microorganisms, decompose organic substances such as ammonia and proteins contained in the bath water, so that the bath water is purified.

[0008]

However, in such a conventional hot water circulator, the microorganisms that propagate in the filtration tank are not only the purified bacteria, but also the germs in the bath water that could not be sterilized by the sterilizer. In some cases. In such a case,
Bath water mixed with various bacteria comes out of the filtration tank and is circulated into the bath tub.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to newly provide a hot water circulator capable of restricting the propagation of unnecessary bacteria and microorganisms in a filtration device.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot water circulator for taking bath water in a bath tub at a water supply section, purifying the bath water with a filtration device, heating the bath water to a predetermined temperature, and then discharging the hot water. A hot water circulator that circulates bath water by a pump through a piping system so as to return to a bathtub from a part, wherein a high-temperature side part is disposed so as to be able to exchange heat with a part of the piping system on the water intake part side from the filtration device, Through the piping system, the bath water to be sent into the filtration device is within a temperature range at which purifying bacteria having excellent heat resistance and grown in the filtering device can live, and other than the purifying bacteria. Unnecessary germs, or configured to be capable of heating to a temperature for killing microorganisms, the low-temperature side portion is disposed so as to be able to exchange heat with a part of the piping system closer to the discharge unit than the filtration device, and the piping system Exited the filtration device through Bathing water, or until the temperature-maintaining predetermined temperature, characterized in that a configured electronic cooling device to cool.

[0011] With the above-described structure, the hot water of the electronic cooling device flows into the filtration device through the high-temperature side, and the bath water heated to a predetermined heating temperature flows into the filtration device. Unnecessary germs or microorganisms can be killed while the purified bacteria remain, and the bath water returned to the bath can be kept clean. At the same time, the hot water discharged from the filtration device is cooled at the low temperature side of the electronic cooling device and cooled to a proper bathing temperature, so that hot water does not enter the bathtub. be able to.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the hot water circulator according to the first aspect, the purifying bacterium having excellent heat resistance is a microorganism belonging to Bacillus subtilis.

With the above-mentioned structure, microorganisms belonging to Bacillus subtilis do not die even at an extremely high temperature of 100 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the inside of the filtration device is heated to a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius or less, and unnecessary bacteria and Microorganisms can be sufficiently sterilized.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A schematic configuration of an embodiment of a hot water circulator according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and a hot water circulator main body 10 has a water intake section 12 for taking in bath water in a bathtub 32.
A pump 16 for pumping the bath water taken from the water intake section 12 and circulating the bath water again into the bathtub 32; an ultraviolet sterilizer 18 as a sterilizer for sterilizing bacteria in the bath water; a heater 19; A filtration tank 20 which is a filtration device containing a filtering material for purifying water, such as so-called barley stone, crispbal or porous granular ceramics; and an electronic cooling device 2
2 and a discharge unit 24 for returning the purified and sterilized bath water to the bathtub 32. And these water intake sections 12,
The pump 16, the ultraviolet sterilizer 18, the heater 19, the filtration tank 20, and the discharge unit 24 are connected in series by a pipe 26 so that bath water is sent and circulated in these order. A water intake unit 12 and a discharge unit 24 are installed in a bathtub 32 to supply and drain water.

The pump 16 is a variable pump.
Various adjustments can be made, such as making the flow rate of bath water for pumping the piping system of the hot water circulator body 10 lower than the flow rate in a normal use state.

The heater 19 has a function of heating the bath water and adjusting the temperature of the bath water in the bath tub 32.

The electronic cooling device 22 utilizes the Peltier effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, an N-type semiconductor 58 and a P-type semiconductor 60 are mounted on one heat absorbing side metal plate 56, and The heat-dissipating metal plate 6 is provided on the end surface of the N-type semiconductor 58 and the P-type semiconductor 60 opposite to the heat-absorbing metal plate 56.
A Peltier device is provided with 2, 64 attached. The plus pole of the power supply 52 is connected to the heat-dissipating metal plate 62 of the N-type semiconductor 58, and the minus pole of the power supply 52 is connected to the heat-dissipating metal plate 64 of the P-type semiconductor 60 so that a DC current flows. It is configured as follows.

From the N-type semiconductor 58 of this Peltier element, P
When a direct current is passed through the semiconductor 60, heat moves in the direction opposite to the direction of the current in the N-type semiconductor 58 and in the direction opposite to the direction of the current in the P-type semiconductor 60. It is cooled and takes away heat from the surroundings. In addition, heat is radiated from the heat radiating metal plates 62 and 64.

Based on such a principle, the electronic cooling device 22
Is configured as a Peltier module in which heat is continuously pumped from the low-temperature side portion 22B to the high-temperature side portion 22A when a direct current is passed through the Peltier module.

On the surface of the electronic cooling device 22 on the high temperature side 22A side (radiation side metal plates 62 and 64 side), a heater 19 is provided.
A part of a pipe 26 between the filter tank 20 and the filter tank 20 is arranged so as to be able to exchange heat efficiently. The low-temperature side portion 22B side of the electronic cooling device 22 (the heat-absorbing side metal plate 56 side).
A part of the pipe 26 between the filtration tank 20 and the discharge part 24 is routed so as to be able to exchange heat efficiently with the surface of the filter 26.

The high-temperature side portion 22A of the electronic cooling device 22 is used as a sterilizing heating means capable of heating the bath water in the filtration tank 20 to a temperature equal to or higher than the appropriate bathing temperature (100 degrees Celsius in the present embodiment). With the function of.

At the same time, the electronic cooling device 22 has a function of cooling the bath water heated to a temperature higher than the appropriate bathing temperature to the appropriate bathing temperature. The hot water circulator body 10
The control unit 58 receives a signal from a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the bath water to maintain the temperature of the hot water in the bath tub at the set temperature, and controls the heating amount of the heater 19, the water supply amount of the pump 16, and the like. It is configured to be.

Further, the water intake section 12 of the hot water circulator body 10
A hair catcher 14 made of a porous material such as urethane foam is provided detachably with respect to the water intake unit 12 as a pre-filter for removing coarse dust such as hair in bath water. In addition, a purification bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis is previously contained in the filtration tank 20 containing the filtration material. The purifying bacteria proliferate on the surface of the filter material such as granular ceramics in the filter tank 20, the inside of the porous hole, the peripheral portion of the filter material, and other portions. As a result, organic matter secreted from the body in the bath water is decomposed and purified by the propagated purified bacteria.

The bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis used herein is, for example, a bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6 having excellent heat resistance.
633. This Bacillus Subtilis ATCC 6633 is a bacterium that is harmless to the human body, can live and reproduce even at high temperatures, and secretes powerful proteolytic enzymes.

[0025] Therefore, the bacteria belonging to Bacillus subtilis, which is put in the filtration device in advance, decomposes proteins in secretions from the body in the bath water, so that bacteria for purification are eliminated. Even if you have n’t bred enough,
The turbidity of the bath water, which is the initial turbidity at the initial stage of the installation of the circulating filter, is prevented.

Furthermore, the bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis is an aerobic Gram-positive spore-forming bacillus, and in a dry state or at a high temperature, becomes a spore state and stops its activity, but does not die. It is.

When Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633, a bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis, is attached to granular ceramics, it may be attached in the form of vegetative cells or spores.
There are the following methods.

For example, a part of the granular ceramic to be put into the filtration tank 20 is immersed in a liquid containing a bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis, and after the bacterial cells are sufficiently adhered to the surface of the granular ceramic, drying is performed. The granular ceramic to which the bacterial cells adhere is put into the filtration tank 20.

Thus, the bacteria belonging to Bacillus subtilis can be adhered to the circulation path of the hot water circulator 10 in which the bath water is circulated.

Bacteria belonging to Bacillus subtilis are adhered to the urethane foam of the water intake section 12, and as the bath water circulates, the cells are dissolved into the bath water and introduced into the filtration tank 20. Here, for example, if it is porous, it is easy to adhere, so it may be attached to a filter medium.

Further, by mixing a rod-shaped fiber material such as dental cotton with bacteria belonging to Bacillus subtilis admixed in the filter medium of the filtration tank 20, the bath water is circulated. Therefore, the bacteria start to propagate on the filter medium to which the bacteria are not attached.

As described above, by growing these bacteria on the surface of, for example, granular ceramics in the filtration device, the organic matter in the bath water can be efficiently reduced and the bath water can be purified.

Escherichia coli, staphylococci and the like among the bacteria or microorganisms having no heat resistance are 45 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.
Death in degrees.

Next, the operation and the method of use in the hot water circulator of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

First, in a normal use state, the pump 16 is operated, and the hair catcher 14 removes relatively large debris, such as hair, towel lint, and a portion of red deposits, from the water intake section 12 in the bathtub 32. The bath water is taken in and sent to the ultraviolet sterilizer 18 through the pipe 26. UV sterilizer 18
Then, the bath water is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and sterilized. The hot water circulator may be configured without providing the ultraviolet sterilizer 18. Thereafter, the bath water is sent to the heater 19 through the pipe 26 and heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, about 35 degrees Celsius to about 43 degrees Celsius) set for bathing or heat retention. Heater 19
The bath water heated at the above passes through the pipe 26, passes over the high temperature side 22A of the inactive electronic cooling device 22, and is sent to the filtration tank 20.

In the filtration tank 20, the filtration tank 20
Filters, such as barley stone, cristal, and porous granular ceramics, filled therein absorb red, sweat, ammonia, color components, odor components, various bacteria, and the like in the bath water. As described above, the organic matter adsorbed on the filter medium is supplied to the filter tank 2
Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, a purifying bacterium belonging to Bacillus subtilis that grows within 0, is decomposed and purified.

The bath water filtered in the filtration tank 20 passes through the pipe 26, passes over the low-temperature side portion 22B of the electronic cooling device 22 that is not operated, and is returned from the discharge portion 24 into the bath tub 32.

As described above, the bath water is circulated through the hot water circulator, so that the bath water in the bath tub 32 is sequentially purified and maintained at a predetermined hot water temperature.

If the above-mentioned use condition is continued for a long period of time, various bacteria and the like which could not be completely sterilized by the ultraviolet sterilizer 18 flow into the filtration tank 20 and may grow there. In such a case, the switch 54 for heat sterilization of various bacteria in the hot water circulator is turned on. Then, the power of the hot water circulator body 10 is turned on, and the operation of the control unit 50 is started. Next, in step 72, the process waits until the switch 54 for heat sterilization of various bacteria in the hot water circulator is turned on. Next, when the switch 54 is turned on, the process proceeds to step 74, in which the rotation speed of the pump 16 is reduced to reduce the flow rate of the bath water flowing in the pipe 26, and the bath water is discharged from the high temperature side 22 A of the electronic cooling device 22. The heat is exchanged while passing through the pipe 26 at a very low speed, and the temperature is equal to or higher than the appropriate bathing temperature, for example, 45 degrees Celsius or more.
Adjust the flow rate of the bath water so that it can be heated to about 70 degrees Celsius.

The relationship between the speed at which the bath 16 is fed by the pump 16 and the temperature of the bath water in the filtration tank 20 depends on the electronic cooling device 2 of a normal capacity mounted on this type of hot water circulator.
When the second high temperature section 22A is used, for example, the following is performed. That is, when the flow rate of the bath water sent out by the pump 16 is 18 liters per minute (18 l / min), the temperature of the bath water passing through the filtration tank 20 is 40 degrees Celsius, and the flow rate is 1 liter per minute (1 l / min). , The temperature of the bath water is 47 degrees Celsius and the flow rate is 0.5 liter per minute (0.5
1 / min), the temperature of the bath water is 52 degrees Celsius. Next, in step 76, the switch of the power supply 52 of the electronic cooling device 22 is turned on to operate the electronic cooling device 22.
Thereby, the bath water heated to the required temperature at the high temperature side 22A of the electronic cooling device 22 is sent to the filtration tank 20, and the bath water in the filtration tank 20 is heated to about 45 to 70 degrees Celsius. Kills unwanted germs and microorganisms.
At this time, the bath water is supplied to the high temperature side portion 22 of the electronic cooling device 22.
Since the residence time on A is long, sufficient heating can be performed. However, the heating temperature of the heater 19 may be controlled at the time of this heat sterilization to adjust the heating temperature of the bath water to a predetermined temperature. Also,
Adjustment is made to reduce the current applied to the heater 19 so that the heater 19 is not heated excessively.

The bath water coming out of the filtration tank 20 is
The water is cooled to a temperature suitable for bathing at a low temperature side portion 22 </ b> B of the electronic cooling device 22 and is returned to the bathtub 32. Next, step 7
Then, the heat sterilization operation is continued until the heat sterilization operation is performed for a predetermined time (about one hour). In addition, the heating temperature and the heating time for this heat sterilization can be appropriately changed and set according to the kind of various bacteria or microorganisms to be subjected to the heat sterilization.

In step 80, the rotational speed of the pump 16 is gradually increased to the rotational speed in a normal use state, and
The flow rate of the bath water flowing through the inside is increased, and the bath water is heated by the heater 19 and adjusted so as to maintain a predetermined bathing appropriate temperature. next,
Proceeding to step 82, the switch of the power supply 52 of the electronic cooling device 22 is turned off to stop the operation of the electronic cooling device 22, and the control operation of the heat sterilization operation is ended.

The bath water cooled in the low temperature side portion 22B of the electronic cooling device 22 in this manner is supplied from the discharge portion 24 to the bathtub 3
Refluxed into 2. In addition, since hot water is not refluxed into the bathtub 32, it is possible to prevent the bathwater in the bathtub 32 from becoming higher than a predetermined temperature, so that the filtration tank 20 can be heated and sterilized during bathing.

After completion of the heat sterilization operation, the pump 16
The control unit 50 returns to the normal water supply operation, stops the electronic cooling device 22, and returns to the normal operation state.

In this embodiment, the water supply operation of the pump 16 has been described as being switched.
If the heating power or cooling power of 2 is sufficiently strong,
The water supply operation of the pump 16 may be configured not to be switched.

Further, the above-described heat sterilization operation may be automatically performed, for example, about once a week or about once a month by a timer provided in the control unit of the hot water circulator body 10, or the bath water may be used. Dirt may be detected by a sensor and an alarm may be issued to prompt execution of the heat sterilization operation. Further, it may be performed completely manually.

[0047]

According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that unnecessary germs and microorganisms can be restricted from growing in a filtration device in a hot water circulator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conceptual configuration of an embodiment of a hot water circulator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of a heat sterilization operation in the embodiment of the hot water circulator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration explanatory view illustrating the configuration principle of the electronic cooling device in the embodiment of the hot water circulator according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Hot water circulator body 16 Pump 19 Heater 20 Filtration tank (filtration device) 22 Electronic cooling device 22A High temperature side 22B Low temperature side 26 Piping 32 Bathtub

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The bath water in a bath tub is taken in a water supply unit, the bath water is purified by a filtration device, and after being heated to a predetermined temperature, the bath water is pumped through a piping system so as to return from the discharge unit to the bath tub. A hot water circulator that circulates, wherein a high-temperature side portion is disposed so as to be able to exchange heat with a part of the piping system closer to a water intake unit than the filtration device, and through the piping system,
The bath water to be sent into the filtration device is within a temperature range in which the purified bacteria having excellent heat-resistant properties grown in the filtration device can inhabit, and unnecessary germs other than the purified bacteria, or In addition to being configured to be heatable to a temperature for killing microorganisms, the low-temperature side is disposed so as to be heat-exchangeable with a part of the piping system closer to the discharge unit than the filtering device, and inside the filtering device through the piping system. A hot water circulator provided with an electronic cooling device configured to bathe hot water that has come out or to cool to a predetermined temperature for keeping warm. 2. The hot water circulator according to claim 1, wherein the purifying bacterium having excellent heat resistance is a microorganism belonging to Bacillus subtilis.