JP7565031B2 - Method for producing electrolytic water, sprayer for producing electrolytic water, and spray device for producing electrolytic water - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act November 1, 2019, Edion Net Shop, https://www.edion.com/detail.html?p_cd=00062228763 November 2, 2019, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIyPiRFCHHM

The present invention relates to a method for producing electrolytic water by electrolysis from raw water, a production sprayer, and a production spray device.

Ozone ( _O3 ) has a strong oxidizing power, but in an aqueous solution, it changes to oxygen ( _O2 ) in a few tens of minutes, so there is little residual toxicity. Therefore, today, ozone gas and ozone water, which is an aqueous solution of ozone, are used in a wide range of fields, such as sterilization, deodorization, decolorization, and oxidation and decomposition of harmful substances, and are attracting attention as an oxidizing agent, especially a bactericide, to replace chlorine. Sterilization with ozone is effective against a wide range of bacteria, yeast, mold, and viruses, and since its mechanism of action is to oxidize and destroy the cell membrane of bacteria, it is difficult for resistant bacteria to develop, and it also has a deodorizing effect. On the other hand, since ozone has an odor and irritates the human respiratory system, it is necessary to observe the indoor environmental standard for the concentration in the air (volume concentration of 0.1 ppm or less), and it is also necessary to be careful that ozone corrodes and deteriorates iron, nitrile rubber, etc. (Non-Patent Document 1).

The main methods for producing ozone water are the gas dissolution method and the direct electrolysis method. The gas dissolution method is a method for producing ozone water by dissolving ozone gas, which is produced by a method such as generating ozone gas by discharging oxygen gas as a raw material, in water. The gas dissolution method has the drawback that it is difficult to obtain high-concentration ozone water because ozone gas is poorly soluble in water, so it is often used at a low concentration of 1 mg/L or less. The direct electrolysis method is a method for producing ozone water by electrolyzing raw water such as tap water. High-concentration ozone water can be obtained more economically by the direct electrolysis method (ibid.).

JP 2003-93479 A (Patent Document 1) discloses the basic configuration of a simplified ozone water generating sprayer that can generate ozone water by electrolyzing raw water in a bottle that can be held in one hand for easy use at home, as shown in FIG. 19, and can spray 0.1 mL to 1 mL of ozone water at a time. The ozone water generating sprayer is composed of a discharge part 107 and a bottle 104. The bottle 104 has electrodes 105 and 106 for generating ozone water by electrolyzing raw water, which are erected on its flat inner bottom surface, and the ozone water generated in the bottle 104 is sprayed from the discharge part 107 through a spray tube 112. A similar basic configuration is also disclosed in JP 2019-037946 A, JP 2003-000957 A, and JP 2003-266073 A.

The challenge for such a simple household ozone water generating sprayer is to generate ozone water with a volume of several tens of mL and an ozone concentration of about 1 to 2 mg/L in a short time of about 2 to 4 minutes with high efficiency. Of course, it is possible to generate high-concentration ozone water with an ozone concentration of 4 mg/L or more by increasing the current value or voltage value in electrolysis, but the strong irritating odor during spraying and, depending on the conditions, during generation is also strong and unsuitable for practical use in the home.
Conventional techniques for increasing the efficiency of ozone water production using direct electrolysis include (1) placing electrodes within a compartment, (2) designing the electrode surface, (3) controlling ion movement, and (4) controlling convection.

(1) Placing electrodes in a compartment This is a technique in which a compartment is provided in a container that stores raw water, an electrode for electrolysis is placed in the compartment, electrolysis is performed, and only the high-concentration ozone water generated in the compartment is sprayed. For example, as shown in Fig. 20, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-154030 (Patent Document 2) discloses a technique in which an electrolytic water generating spray device 201 is provided with an electrolytic cell 205 that communicates with a tank 204, and the tank 204 and the electrolytic cell 205 are configured to communicate only through a communication passage 207, and each time the spray mechanism 203 is pushed by hand, ozone water is sprayed from the spray nozzle, and at the same time, raw water flows from the tank 204 through the communication passage 207 into the small-capacity electrolytic cell 205, and is electrolyzed in the electrolytic cell 205, and high-concentration ozone water is generated again in the electrolytic cell 205.
A similar technique is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-092883. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6249200 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-148109 disclose a technique of attaching an electrolysis cell for generating ozone water inside a spray tube. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-062573 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-181338 disclose a technique of attaching an electrolysis electrode for generating ozone water immediately adjacent to a spray nozzle of a discharge section. These techniques have a drawback in that the amount of ozone water that can be stored in a partitioned portion is small, and when the amount of spray per unit time exceeds a certain value, the generation speed of ozone water does not catch up with the spray speed, and the ozone concentration in the spray water decreases.

(2) Improvement of the electrode surface This is a technique for improving the efficiency of ozone water generation by improving the shape of the electrode or the material of the electrode surface. For example, Japanese Patent No. 6258566 discloses an invention in which the anode and/or cathode are made into a mesh in order to increase the contact area with the raw water and improve the electrolysis efficiency. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 03-000957 discloses a technique for improving the efficiency of ozone generation by using an electrolysis electrode having an electrode catalyst made of tantalum oxide or niobium oxide on the surface. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-134677 discloses a technique in which a wire mesh made of a precious metal having an ozone generating catalyst function is used as the anode electrode, a lath mesh made of a corrosion-resistant metal is layered on the outer surface side of the anode electrode, and raw water is fed through the wire mesh, so that the raw water advances so as to thread through the narrow gaps connecting the meshes, and the stirring action causes the generated ozone bubbles to dissolve in the water, preventing ozone from being discharged as a gas, thereby improving the efficiency of ozone water generation. Although these techniques are useful, the electrode structures tend to be complicated and the manufacturing costs high.

(3) Control of ion migration This is a technology to increase the efficiency of ozone water production by controlling ion migration near the electrodes. In general, in the direct electrolysis method, as shown in the following chemical reaction formulas, the main reaction is the electrolysis of water (formula 1) and (formula 3) that produces oxygen ( _O2 ) and hydrogen (H2), and is accompanied by a reaction (formula ₂ ) that produces a small amount of ozone ( _O3 ).
[Anodic reaction]
(Formula 1) 2H ₂ O → O ₂ +4H ⁺ +4e ^-
(Formula 2) 3H ₂ O → O ₃ +6H ⁺ +6e ^-
[Cathode reaction]
(Formula 3) 2H ⁺ +2e ^- → H ₂
As can be seen from formula 2, if hydrogen ions (H ⁺ ) generated at the anode by electrolysis of raw water remain near the anode and exist in high concentration, the progress of the ozone production reaction (formula 2) is hindered.
The above-mentioned Patent Document 2 discloses an electrolysis cell in which an anode and a linear cathode are separated by a cation exchange membrane. Hydrogen ions generated at the anode pass through the cation exchange membrane to the cathode, and as shown in (Equation 3), receive electrons at the cathode and become hydrogen (H ₂ ). As a result, hydrogen ions do not remain in high concentration near the anode, so ozone can be generated efficiently. In addition, Japanese Patent No. 4723627 and the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 6258566 also disclose membrane-electrode assemblies in which the anode and cathode are separated by a cation exchange membrane. However, the ion exchange membrane tends to have a complicated structure for the membrane-electrode assembly, and maintenance and management are costly.

(4) Control of Convection This is a method that enables spraying of high concentration ozone water by controlling the convection of the raw water.

In Jitsuto No. 3207605 (Patent Document 3), as shown in FIG. 21, an invention of a spray is disclosed in which an electrode member is accommodated and fixed in a holder 340 attached inside the lower end of a container 320, and the electrode member is composed of a decorative piece 331 having a plurality of holes, a negative electrode piece 332, an insulating washer 333, and a positive electrode piece 334 stacked from the top, and the decorative piece 331 and the holder 340 are thermally fused to each other, thereby accommodating and fixing the electrode member in the holder 340. In this invention, the holder 340 in which electrolytic water is generated is configured as a cylinder with a low height and a large bottom area to suppress convection generated in the container 320 during electrolysis, and a water intake port of the spray tube is provided directly above the holder 340, so that a small amount of highly concentrated electrolytic water can be sprayed. However, since the convection in the container 320 is weak, only the concentration of electrolytic water near the holder 340 increases, and there is a drawback that the concentration of the entire container 320 does not increase very much.

JP 2003-334557 A (Patent Document 4) discloses an invention for a sterilizing cleaning water generating device configured to have an electrolytic cell 402 with an electrode section (electrolytic device) 401 penetrating horizontally and a power supply unit 404 removable, as shown in FIG. 22. In order to penetrate the electrode section 401 into the electrolytic cell 402, a terminal cover section 415 having an anode power receiving terminal 405-1 and a cathode power receiving terminal 405-2 is provided at the bottom of the electrolytic cell 402. Therefore, the horizontal cross section of the bottom of the electrolytic cell 402 is smaller than that of the top. During electrolysis, an upward water flow from the electrode section 401 and a downward water flow mainly along the inner side surface of the electrolytic cell 402 are generated in the raw water in the electrolytic cell 402. The downward water flow finally reaches the inner bottom surface of the electrolytic cell 402. However, because there is a vertical gap between the inner bottom surface of the electrolytic cell and the electrode unit 401, the descending water flow does not directly hit the electrode unit 401, and it takes time for the low-concentration electrolyzed water contained in the descending water flow to become highly concentrated through electrolysis. Also, because the electrode unit 401 is oriented horizontally, the volume of raw water affected by Joule heating and microbubble generation is larger than when oriented vertically, and the speed of the ascending water flow is slower and it is more likely to collide with the descending water flow and reduce the speed of convection. There is much room for improvement in the arrangement of the electrode unit 401 in the electrolytic cell 402.

JP 2017-05191 A (Patent Document 5) discloses an invention of an electrolysis device that includes an electrolysis cell 510, a main body that is detachably attached to the electrolysis cell 510, an electrode unit 520 that is placed in the electrolysis cell 510, and a power supply unit 530 for supplying power to the electrode unit 520, as shown in FIG. 23, in which the power supply unit 530 is attached to the main body and extends from the main body to the bottom side of the electrolysis cell 510, the electrode unit 520 is attached to the power supply unit 530, gaps D1, D2 are provided between the electrode unit 520 and the inner surface and bottom surface of the electrolysis cell 510, an outer shell 524 is disposed on the outer surface of the electrode unit 520, a concentric groove 525 is provided on the upper surface side of the outer shell 524, and the lower surface side is open, allowing water to circulate along the axial direction of the electrode unit 520. In this electric field device, the gap D2 is formed, and the temperature rise of the electrolytic water caused by the electrolytic process generates a water flow that flows upward through the electrode unit 520, and the electrode unit 520 can be efficiently replenished with water before electrolytic process. In addition, the gap D1 is formed, and the water before electrolytic process stored above the electrode unit 520 can be circulated below the electrode unit 520 through the gap between the electrode unit 520 and the side of the electrolytic cell 510, and the electrode unit 520 can be replenished from below the electrode unit 520. This allows the water in the electrolytic cell 510 to be efficiently circulated to the electrode unit 520, improving the efficiency of the electrolytic process and shortening the time required for the electrolytic process. However, this electrolytic device has a disadvantage that the electrode unit hangs down from the main body and the power supply unit is provided in the main body, making the main body that constitutes the lid of the electrolytic cell heavy and inconvenient to handle.

(5) Others The above-mentioned Patent Publication No. 6249200 discloses a technology in which, in a configuration in which an electrolytic cell for generating ozone water is attached inside a spray tube, a small spiral structure is further provided inside the spray tube to break up the ozone bubbles generated in the electrolytic cell and convert them into fine bubbles, thereby increasing the dissolution rate of ozone and improving the efficiency of generating ozone water. However, the structure is complex and maintenance is cumbersome.
Although it is not a technology for improving the generation efficiency of ozone water, JP2012-501385A discloses a technology for turning on an indicator light when the value of the current flowing through an electrolytic cell is within a predetermined range and turning off the indicator light when it is outside the range. JP2006-518666A (Patent Document 6) discloses a technology for a spray device having an oxidant efficacy indicator light in the spray head for indicating the efficacy of electrolytic water, but does not disclose any details of the control for turning on and off the oxidant efficacy indicator light.

Thus, the conventional techniques (1) to (5) for increasing the efficiency of ozone water production by direct electrolysis are not satisfactory for use in a simple and inexpensive household ozone water generating sprayer having a bottle that can be held in one hand. Furthermore, none of the techniques have the idea of increasing the efficiency of ozone water production by controlling the flow of the ascending water flow generated near the electrode structure attached to the inner bottom surface of the container and the descending water flow generated along the inner side surface of the container during electrolysis by devising the shape of the inner bottom surface of the container that stores the raw water. For example, Patent Document 4 discloses a configuration in which the inner bottom surface of the container is not flat, but this is for the purpose of penetrating the side surface of the container, and is not for the purpose of controlling the water flow inside the container. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 shows the idea of controlling the flow of the ascending water flow and the descending water flow inside the container, but does not include the idea of controlling the flow by devising the shape of the inner bottom surface of the container. Furthermore, a configuration for displaying the effectiveness of the sterilization and deodorization action of the sprayed ozone water in a way that is easy for the user to understand in real time has not been realized.

JP 2003-93479 A JP 2009-154030 A Jito No. 3207605 Publication JP 2003-334557 A JP 2017-05191 A Special Publication No. 2006-518666

New developments in the use of ozone water, Yoshiyuki Nishimura et al., Journal of the Japanese Society of Food Technology, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 103-113, Sep. 2001

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method for generating ozone water (electrolyzed water) that can be used at home, a generator sprayer that can be held in one hand, and a generator spray device. A further object of the present invention is to achieve the above object by improving the efficiency of ozone water generation by controlling the upward and downward water flows that occur in the raw water in the container and the generated ozone water through ingenuity in the shape of the inner bottom surface of the container that stores the raw water. A further object of the present invention is to provide an ozone water generator spray device that clearly displays the disinfecting and deodorizing effects of ozone water.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in a first form thereof, there is provided an ozone water generating sprayer including at least a container for storing raw water and a spray mechanism for spraying ozone water (electrolyzed water) generated from the raw water in the container, the container having an inner bottom surface provided with a downwardly recessed concave basin, the concave basin being composed of a concave basin bottom surface and a concave basin slope surrounding the concave basin bottom surface, an electrode structure is erected on the concave basin bottom surface in the container, a voltage is applied to the electrode structure to electrolyze the raw water to generate ozone water, an ascending water current is generated by buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water in the electrode structure during electrolysis, and a descending water current is generated in which the raw water flows down the concave basin slope toward the concave basin bottom surface, thereby promoting convection of the raw water in the container, and the raw water is supplied to the electrode structure to proceed with an ozone generation reaction by electrolysis, thereby increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water.

The second aspect of the present invention is a method for generating ozone water in which the slope of the basin is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the basin.

The third aspect of the present invention is a method for generating ozone water in which the slope of the recessed basin is smoothly connected to the inner surface of the container.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating method in which the electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member, the cathode member is provided with a plurality of holes, and the raw water and/or the ozone water enter and exit the electrode gap through the holes.

The fifth aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating sprayer comprising a container for storing raw water, an electrode structure for electrolyzing the raw water in the container to generate ozone water (electrolyzed water), and a spraying mechanism for spraying the ozone water, the inner bottom surface of the container having a concave basin portion recessed downward, the concave basin portion being composed of a concave basin portion bottom surface and a concave basin portion slope surrounding the periphery thereof, and the electrode structure being erected on the concave basin portion bottom surface inside the container.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating sprayer in which the slope of the concave basin is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the concave basin.

The seventh aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating sprayer in which the slope of the recessed basin is smoothly connected to the inner surface of the container.

The eighth aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating sprayer in which the electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member, the cathode member is provided with a plurality of holes, and the raw water and/or the ozone water enter and exit the electrode gap through the holes.

The ninth aspect of the present invention is an ozone water generating spray device having the ozone water generating sprayer and a power supply unit for mounting the ozone water generating sprayer, the power supply unit or the ozone water generating sprayer having a control unit, a main lamp, and an auxiliary lamp, the control unit lighting the main lamp during the ozone water generating process, and after the ozone water generating process is completed, controlling the auxiliary lamp to light for a predetermined time to indicate that the ozone concentration of the ozone water in the container is an effective concentration.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating ozone water in an ozone water generating sprayer including at least a container for storing raw water and a spray mechanism for spraying ozone water generated from the raw water in the container, the method including providing a downwardly recessed recessed tray portion on an inner bottom surface of the container,
The concave basin is composed of a bottom surface of the concave basin and a sloped surface of the concave basin surrounding the bottom surface, and an electrode structure is erected on the bottom surface of the concave basin in the container, and a voltage is applied to the electrode structure to electrolyze the raw water to generate ozone water, generating an ascending water current caused by buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water in the electrode structure during electrolysis and a descending water current in which the raw water flows down the sloped surface of the concave basin toward the bottom surface of the concave basin, thereby promoting convection of the raw water in the container, and supplying the raw water to the electrode structure to progress an ozone generation reaction by electrolysis and increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water.

When the container does not have a concave basin on the inner bottom surface, there is only the above-mentioned rising water flow, and there is no downward water flow of the raw water flowing down the slope of the concave basin toward the bottom of the concave basin, so the convection of the raw water in the container is weak, the raw water circulates locally in the container, the generated ozone water remains at the bottom of the container, and the amount of raw water with a low ozone concentration supplied to the electrode structure is reduced. As a result, the ozone concentration of the raw water in the electrode structure increases, and the ozone generation reaction shown in (Equation 2) does not progress very much. On the other hand, when the container has a concave basin on the inner bottom surface, in addition to the above-mentioned rising water flow, there is a downward water flow of the raw water flowing down the slope of the concave basin toward the bottom of the concave basin, and the convection of the raw water in the container becomes strong, the raw water in the container circulates on a large scale, and the electrode structure is abundantly supplied with raw water with a low ozone concentration. As a result, the ozone concentration in the raw water in the electrode structure decreases, and the ozone generation reaction shown in (Equation 2) progresses to generate ozone efficiently, and the generated ozone water with a high ozone concentration spreads throughout the entire container by the upward water flow and the downward water flow. The upward water flow is caused by buoyancy, which occurs when the temperature of the raw water in the electrode structure rises due to Joule heating associated with electrolysis, causing thermal expansion, and when fine bubbles of gas such as oxygen, hydrogen, and ozone generated by electrolysis are mixed into the raw water, causing a decrease in the effective density of the raw water.

In this embodiment, the electrode structure is erected on the bottom surface of the concave basin. "Erected" means that the electrode structure is attached to a member having the bottom surface of the concave basin as its surface so that the surface direction of the electrodes constituting the electrode structure intersects (preferably perpendicular to) the bottom surface of the concave basin. Because the electrode structure is erected, the raw water is continuously subjected to buoyancy as it moves from bottom to top inside the electrode structure, creating a strong upward water current.

The raw water in the present invention is mainly assumed to be tap water or commercially available mineral water, etc., from the viewpoint of easy use at home, but is not limited to these. From the viewpoint of adjusting the speed of the electrolysis and ozone generation reaction, it may be an aqueous solution in which a solute such as a gas such as chlorine or a salt such as sodium chloride is dissolved in water, or it may be distilled water, deionized water, purified water, etc.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a method for generating ozone water can be provided in which the inclined surface of the recessed basin is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the recessed basin. The recessed basin of this aspect can be easily manufactured by machining methods such as cutting and injection molding.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a method for generating ozone water can be provided in which the slope of the concave basin is smoothly connected to the inner surface of the container. In this aspect, since the slope of the concave basin is smoothly connected to the inner surface of the container, the raw water that has descended along the inner surface of the container can be smoothly guided to the bottom surface of the concave basin and the electrode structure erected on the bottom surface of the concave basin, and ozone water with a high ozone concentration can be efficiently generated.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member, and the cathode member is provided with a plurality of holes through which the raw water and/or the ozone water enters and leaves the electrode gap. By providing a plurality of holes in the cathode member, raw water can be efficiently introduced into the electrode gap from the outside, and the generated ozone water can be efficiently sent out from the electrode gap to the outside, so that the ozone water can be efficiently generated. Furthermore, by providing a plurality of holes in the cathode member, a region with a large curvature and a locally strong electric field can be created on the surface of the cathode member, and the ozone generation reaction represented by (Equation 2) can be accelerated. In addition, by providing a plurality of holes in the cathode member, the current density per unit area on the surface of the cathode member can be increased, and the ozone generation reaction represented by (Equation 2) can be accelerated, and the ozone water can be efficiently generated. Note that in the present invention, a configuration in which no holes are provided in the cathode member of the electrode structure is also possible. In the case of a configuration without holes, the surface area of the negative electrode member is increased to increase the effective area for electrolysis and increase the concentration of the generated ozone water. Whether the negative electrode member has holes or does not have holes can generate ozone water more efficiently depends on various conditions such as the shape of the negative electrode member and the size, number, and arrangement of the holes.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there can be provided an ozone water generating sprayer comprising a container for storing raw water, an electrode structure for electrolyzing the raw water in the container to generate ozone water, and a spray mechanism for spraying the ozone water, the inner bottom surface of the container having a concave basin portion recessed downward, the concave basin portion being composed of a concave basin portion bottom surface and a concave basin portion slope surrounding the periphery thereof, and the electrode structure being erected on the concave basin portion bottom surface inside the container.

The ozone water generating sprayer of this embodiment generates an upward water current caused by buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water in the electrode structure during electrolysis, and a downward water current in which the raw water flows down the slope of the concave basin toward the bottom of the concave basin, promoting convection of the raw water in the container, and supplies the raw water to the electrode structure, progressing the ozone generation reaction by electrolysis, and increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, an ozone water generating sprayer can be provided in which the slope of the concave basin is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the concave basin.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ozone water generating sprayer in which the slope of the recessed basin is smoothly connected to the inner surface of the container.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member, and the cathode member is provided with a plurality of holes, through which the raw water and/or the ozone water enter and exit the electrode gap, providing an ozone water generating sprayer.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, there can be provided an ozone water generating spray device having the ozone water generating sprayer and a power supply unit for mounting the ozone water generating sprayer, the power supply unit or the ozone water generating sprayer having a control unit, a main lamp, and an auxiliary lamp, and the control unit controls the main lamp to be on during the ozone water generating process, and after the ozone water generating process is completed, controls the auxiliary lamp to be on for a predetermined time to indicate that the ozone concentration of the ozone water in the container is an effective concentration.

Even if the ozone concentration of the ozone water immediately after generation by electrolysis for a predetermined time is high, the ozone concentration of the ozone water in the container will gradually decrease due to the self-decomposition reaction of ozone if left alone. The ozone water generating spray device of this embodiment displays with a lamp whether the ozone water in the container currently has a sufficient ozone concentration for spraying and sterilization and deodorization so that the user can easily understand. That is, after the generation process of ozone water is completed, the control unit controls to turn on the sub-lamp for a predetermined time to indicate that the ozone concentration of the ozone water in the container is an effective concentration. This predetermined time (the time to turn on the sub-lamp) is preferably selected by the control unit from a plurality of predetermined times depending on the amount of raw water in the container used for the generation reaction. Since the speed of the self-decomposition reaction of ozone depends on temperature, it is more preferable that the control unit selects this predetermined time from a plurality of predetermined times depending on the amount of raw water in the container used for the generation reaction and the air temperature or the water temperature of the ozone water in the container measured by a temperature sensor.

1 is an oblique view showing an ozone water generating spray device (electrolyzed water generating spray device) according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the ozone water generating sprayer (electrolyzed water generating sprayer) is placed on a power supply unit. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ozone water generating sprayer detached from the power supply unit. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of each part of the ozone water generating sprayer. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrode structure of an ozone water generating sprayer provided upright on an inner bottom surface of a container. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the function and effect of a recessed tray portion provided on the inner bottom surface of the container. FIG. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional explanatory views showing several embodiments of a recessed tray portion provided on the inner bottom surface of a container. 1A to 1C are explanatory plan views showing several embodiments of a recessed tray portion provided on the inner bottom surface of a container. FIG. 2 is a graph showing how the ozone concentration of ozone water generated in a container decreases over time in one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flow chart showing a main control flow executed by a control unit of an ozone water generating spray device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a flow of an ozone water generating process executed by a control unit. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a flow of post-production treatment of ozone water executed by a control unit. FIG. 12A and 12B are exploded perspective views of an electrode structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. 13A and 13B are top and side views of the electrode structure shown in FIG. 12. 14A and 14B are exploded perspective views of an electrode structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, and a perspective view of a modified embodiment thereof (14C). 15A and 15B are exploded perspective views of an electrode structure according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an electrode structure according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an electrode structure according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams illustrating various ways of winding a string-like insulating spacer around an anode member in the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electrolytic water generating sprayer. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electrolytic water generating spray device. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional spray for generating and spraying electrolytic water. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional sterilizing cleaning water generating device. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional electrolysis device.

Next, the embodiment of the ozone water (electrolyzed water) generating method, generating sprayer, and generating spray device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Overall configuration of ozone water generating spray device> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an ozone water generating spray device (electrolyzed water generating spray device) 7 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The ozone water generating spray device 7 is composed of an ozone water generating sprayer (electrolyzed water generating sprayer) 1 and a power supply unit 6 on which the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is placed. The ozone water generating sprayer 1 includes a container 4 for storing raw water 43, an electrode structure 2 that is erected on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 and that electrolyzes the raw water 43 in the container 4 to generate ozone water 42, and a spray mechanism 5 for spraying the ozone water 42. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is removed from the power supply unit 6. The lower part of the ozone water generating sprayer 1 has a skirt-like shape and is placed on the power supply unit protrusion 66 of the power supply unit 6.

<Power supply unit> The power supply unit 6 includes an AC-DC adapter 61 for connecting to a household outlet and converting AC voltage to DC voltage, a power cord 61a for supplying DC voltage and DC current to the ozone water generating sprayer 1, three operation buttons 64, and three indicator lamps 65. The operation buttons 64 include a power button 64a, a first generation button 64b for long-term generation, and a second generation button 64c for short-term generation. The indicator lamps 65 include a power lamp 65a, a first generation lamp 65b, and a second generation lamp 65c, and are lit for a predetermined time when the button corresponding to each lamp is pressed. Electricity for electrolysis is applied only when the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is placed on the power supply unit 6. For safety reasons, to ensure that the ozone concentration in the indoor air does not exceed the indoor environmental standard of 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/L), when the first generation button is pressed, electrolysis is performed for a predetermined time, for example, 4 minutes, and when the second generation button is pressed, electrolysis is performed for a predetermined time, for example, 2 minutes, and the user is notified of the end of electrolysis by light or sound, and at the same time, the power supply for electrolysis is completed. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the AC-DC adapter 61 is provided separately from the housing of the power supply unit 6, but in a modified embodiment of this embodiment, the AC-DC adapter 61 may be built into the housing of the power supply unit 6.

<Container and circuit chamber of ozone water generating sprayer> The circuit chamber 9 is attached to the underside of the container 4 via an interposer ring 94. Referring also to FIG. 3, the circuit chamber 9 is provided with a connection terminal portion 91 for connecting the electrode portion 62 of the power supply unit 6. DC voltage and DC current are supplied to the electrode structure 2 from the connection terminal portion 91 via a printed circuit board 92.

<Spraying mechanism> In Fig. 1, the spraying mechanism 5 comprises a head portion 51 removably attached to the container 4, and a tube 52 for transporting the ozone water 42 in the container 4 to the head portion 51, and the head portion 51 comprises a lever 54 and a nozzle 53. When the user grips and rotates the lever 54, a small amount of ozone water 42, about 0.1 to 1.0 mL, is transported from the container 4 to the head portion 51 through the tube 52 by the pump action, and the transported ozone water 42 passes through the nozzle 53 and is sprayed to the outside as a spray flow. When the user releases the lever 54 after spraying, the lever 54, which was previously rotated, returns to its original position by the action of a spring (not shown) provided in the head portion 51. In addition, a lever housing groove and a slide member movable along the lever housing groove may be provided on the outer surface of the container 4, and the lever 54 may be housed in the lever housing groove when not in use, and the slide member may be moved to cover and fix the tip of the lever 54, so that the lever 54 is closely attached to the outer surface of the container 4 and housed compactly. A head cover 51a is attached to the container 4 in a removable manner. A cutout is provided in the head cover 51a so as not to interfere with the rotational movement of the lever 54, and the ozone water 42 can be sprayed even when the head cover 51a is attached to the container 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the spray mechanism 5 is manual, but in a modified embodiment of this embodiment, a spray mechanism using an electric pump may be used as the spray mechanism 5.

<Electrode structure support frame> In FIG. 1, the electrode structure 2 is supported by being fitted into the electrode structure support frame 28, so there is little risk of it collapsing, cracking, or other damage when cleaning with a brush during maintenance. The electrode structure support frame 28 is fixed to the bottom plate 49 of the container 4 or is formed integrally with the bottom plate 49.

<Use of the spray mechanism> Figure (3B) illustrates the structure of the spray mechanism 5 in one embodiment of the present invention, and a method for removing the spray mechanism 5 when pouring raw water 43 into the container 4. When the head cover 51a is removed in advance and the spray cap 5x is rotated in the direction indicated by the rotation arrow 5z, the screw connection is released, and the spray mechanism 5 can be removed from the container 4 as indicated by the arrow 5y, and raw water 43 can be poured into the container 4 through the water inlet 4x of the container 4. After the raw water is poured, the spray mechanism 5 is fitted into the water inlet 4x of the container 4, and the spray cap 5x is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation arrow 5z to fix the spray mechanism 5 to the container 4. The spray mechanism 5 has a lever lock 54a between the spray cap 5x and the lever 54. The lever lock 54a can take two angular positions: a normal position and a position rotated 90 degrees. When the lever lock 54a is in the normal position, the ozone water 43 can be sprayed by gripping and rotating the lever 54 with the hand, but when the lever lock 54a is in a position rotated 90 degrees, the lever 54 is fixed and cannot be gripped and rotated with the hand, and the ozone water 43 cannot be sprayed.

<Water level line> Figure (3C) is a perspective view for explaining the water level line 43 provided on the container 4 in one embodiment of the present invention. The container 4 is provided with multiple water level lines, a first water level line 43b and a second water level line 43c. The user fills the container 4 with raw water 42 up to the position indicated by one of the water level lines, attaches the spray cap 5x to the container 4, places the container 4 on the power supply unit 6, and presses the operation button 64 to generate ozone water. For example, when raw water 42 is filled up to the first water level line 43b, the first generation button 64b for long-time generation is pressed, and when raw water 42 is filled up to the second water level line 43c, the second generation button 64c for short-time generation is pressed. Long-time generation is the standard, but short-time generation can be performed when in a hurry. In this way, by providing multiple water level lines, the amount of raw water 42 to be electrolyzed in the case of short-time generation can be reduced compared to the case of long-time generation, and the ozone concentration of the generated ozone water can be kept high.

<Concave tray portion> Figure 4 is an oblique view showing the electrode structure 2 of the ozone water generating sprayer 1 being erected on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 in one embodiment of the present invention. The inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 has a concave tray portion 48 that is recessed downward, and the concave tray portion 48 is composed of a concave tray portion bottom surface 48a and a concave tray portion slope 48b surrounding its periphery, and the electrode structure 2 is erected on the concave tray portion bottom surface 48a inside the container 4. In addition, the electrode structure support frame 28 is erected on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4. The ozone water generating sprayer 1 generates ozone water 42 by applying a voltage to the electrode structure 2 and electrolyzing the raw water 43, and generates an ascending water flow 81 caused by the buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water 43 in the electrode structure 2 during electrolysis, and a descending water flow 82 in which the raw water 43 flows down the concave basin slope 48b toward the concave basin bottom surface 48a, promoting convection of the raw water 43 in the container 4, supplying the raw water 43 to the electrode structure 2, promoting the ozone generation reaction by electrolysis, and increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water 42. The electrode structure 2 is supported by being fitted into the "U-shaped" electrode structure support frame 28, so that there is little risk of damage such as collapse or cracking when cleaning with a brush during maintenance. The support frame upper member 28b of the electrode structure support frame 28 is provided with a support frame opening 28a so as not to interfere with the ascending water flow.

<Electrode structure> In this embodiment, the electrode structure 2 includes a plate-shaped anode member 21 and a cathode member 22 with a U-shaped horizontal cross section, which is disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member 21 by sandwiching a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 between them. The cathode member 22 is provided with a plurality of holes 27, through which raw water 43 and/or ozone water 42 can enter and exit the electrode gap. Note that in the present invention, an embodiment in which no holes are provided in the cathode member 21 of the electrode structure 2 is also possible.

<Effect of the concave tray> Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the function and effect of the concave tray 48 provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4. Fig. 5A shows one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 5B shows the prior art. In the present invention, as shown in Fig. 5A, a concave tray 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46, which is the upper surface of the container bottom plate 49 of the container 4, and the concave tray 48 is composed of a concave tray bottom surface 48a and a concave tray slope 48b surrounding the periphery thereof, and the electrode structure 2 is erected on the concave tray bottom surface 48a in the container 4. Ozone water 42 is generated by applying a voltage to the electrode structure 2 to electrolyze raw water 43. During electrolysis, an ascending water current 81 is generated by buoyancy acting vertically on raw water 43 in electrode structure 2, a descending water current 82a in which raw water 43 flows down along basin slope 48b toward basin bottom surface 48a, and a descending water current 82 in which raw water 43 descends along inner surface 47 of vessel 4, promoting convection of raw water 43 in vessel 4, supplying raw water 43 with a low ozone concentration to electrode structure 2, promoting the ozone generation reaction by electrolysis, and increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water 42. Note that, although basin slope 48b is vertical in the embodiment shown in Fig. 5A, an embodiment in which basin slope is an inclined surface is also possible, and similar actions and effects are achieved.

On the other hand, in the conventional technology, as shown in FIG. (5B), the inner bottom surface 49 of the container 4 does not have a concave basin 48, and the electrode structure 2 is erected on the flat inner bottom surface 46. Therefore, during electrolysis, although there is an ascending water flow 81 caused by buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water 43 in the electrode structure 2, there is no concave basin descending water flow 82a, and the descending water flow 82 of the raw water 43 descending along the inner surface 47 of the container 4 is weak, and the bottom water flow 82b toward the electrode structure 2 is also weak. Therefore, the convection of the raw water 43 in the container 4 is weak, and the generated ozone water 42 remains at the bottom of the container 4 where the electrode structure 2 is present, and the raw water 43 with a low ozone concentration is not sufficiently supplied to the electrode structure 2, and the ozone generation reaction by electrolysis does not proceed very well, and the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water 42 cannot be sufficiently high.

<Various forms of the concave basin> Figure 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing various embodiments of the bottom plate 49, inner bottom surface 46, and concave basin 48 of the container 4 in the present invention. Figure (6A) shows an embodiment similar to the embodiment shown in Figure (5A), but in which the concave basin slope 48b is a slope rather than a vertical surface. Figure (6B) shows an embodiment in which the concave basin 48 is composed of two stages. The concave basin 48 in this embodiment is composed of a concave basin bottom surface 48a, which is an approximately flat surface on which the electrode structure 2 is erected, a concave basin slope 48b, which is a slope surrounding the periphery, a second concave basin bottom surface 48a2, which is an approximately flat surface surrounding the periphery, and a second concave basin slope 48b2, which is a slope surrounding the periphery. The concave basin slope 48b and/or the second concave basin slope 48b2 may be vertical surfaces. Also, an embodiment in which the concave basin 48 is composed of three or more stages is possible. Figure (6C) shows an embodiment in which the basin slope 48b is smoothly connected to the inner surface 47 of the container 3. In Figure (6C), the basin slope 48b is not smoothly connected to the basin bottom surface 48a. However, embodiments in which the basin slope 48b is smoothly connected to the basin bottom surface 48a are also possible. All of the embodiments shown in Figure 6 have the same function and effect as the embodiment shown in Figure (5A).

7A and 7B are explanatory plan views showing various embodiments of the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, the recessed tray 48, and the electrode structure 2 in the present invention. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7A, a substantially rectangular recessed tray 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the recessed tray 48 is composed of a substantially rectangular recessed tray bottom surface 48a on which the electrode structure 2, which is rectangular in plan view, is erected, and a recessed tray slope 48b, which is a slope surrounding the periphery thereof and has a substantially rectangular ring shape in plan view.
In the embodiment shown in Figure (7B), an elliptical recessed basin portion 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the recessed basin portion 48 consists of an elliptical recessed basin portion bottom surface 48a on which the electrode structure 2, which is rectangular in plan view, is erected, and a recessed basin portion inclined surface 48b, which is an inclined surface surrounding the periphery and has an elliptical ring shape in plan view.
In the embodiment shown in Figure (7C), a hexagonal polygonal recessed basin portion 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the recessed basin portion 48 consists of a polygonal recessed basin portion bottom surface 48a on which the electrode structure 2, which is square in plan view, is erected, and a recessed basin portion inclined surface 48b, which is a polygonal ring-shaped recessed basin portion in plan view and is a slope surrounding the bottom surface 48a.

In the two-stage embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure (7D), a concave basin portion 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the concave basin portion 48 consists of a concave basin portion bottom surface 48a which is a circular, approximately flat surface on which the electrode structure 2 which is circular in plan view is erected, a concave basin portion slope 48b which is a slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a and is annular in plan view, a second concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2 which is an approximately flat surface surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2 and is annular in plan view, and a second concave basin portion slope 48b2 which is a slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a and is annular in plan view.
In the two-stage embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure (7E), a concave basin portion 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the concave basin portion 48 consists of a concave basin portion bottom surface 48a which is an approximately flat surface of an approximately square shape on which the electrode structure 2 which is square in plan view is erected, a concave basin portion slope 48b which is an approximately square annular surface in plan view that is a slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2 which is an approximately flat surface surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2 which is annular in plan view that is a second ... slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2 which is an annular surface in plan view that is a second circular annular surface in plan view that is a slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a2.
FIG. 7F shows the shape of the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 by contour lines. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7F, the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 coincides with the concave basin portion 48, and the concave basin portion slope 48b is smoothly connected to the inner side surface 47 of the container 4. The concave basin portion 48 is composed of a concave basin portion bottom surface 48a, which is a circular, approximately flat surface on which the electrode structure 2, which is circular in plan view, is erected, and a concave basin portion slope 48b, which is a slope surrounding the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a and has a ring shape in plan view. In a modified embodiment of this embodiment, the concave basin portion slope 46 is provided with grooves 46g extending radially from the concave basin portion bottom surface 48a. By providing groove 46g, the concave basin downward water flow 82a, which is the water flow of raw water 43 flowing down the concave basin slope 48b toward the concave basin bottom surface 48a, is guided along groove 46g, strengthening the concave basin downward water flow 82a and promoting convection of raw water 43 in container 4, supplying raw water 43 with a low ozone concentration to electrode structure 2, progressing the ozone production reaction by electrolysis, and increasing the ozone concentration in the generated ozone water 42.
The various configurations in the various embodiments shown in Fig. 7 can be used in combination. Any of the embodiments has the same action and effect as the embodiment shown in Fig. (5A). In Fig. 7, the cross-sectional shape of the container 4 is circular, but various cross-sectional shapes such as an oval, a square, a hexagon, or other polygonal or approximately polygonal shape, a star shape, etc. are also possible, and have the same action and effect as the embodiment shown in Fig. (5A).

<Lower structure of ozone water generating sprayer> Figure (3A) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the structure of the lower part of the ozone water generating sprayer 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention, and the structure of the power supply unit 6. The power supply unit 6 has a power cord 61a, a control unit 63, an operation button 64, an indicator lamp 65, and an electrode unit 62. On the upper surface of the power supply unit convex part 66 of the power supply unit 6, an electrode unit 62 is provided, which is composed of a positive electrode 62a, a negative electrode 62b, and a control electrode 63c, which are three concentric ring-shaped electrodes with different radii. In response to an operation input from the operation button 64, the control unit 63 controls the potential of each electrode of the electrode unit 62 and the current flowing through each electrode.

The container side wall 4a of the container 4 is attached to the circuit chamber side wall 95 of the circuit chamber 9 by fitting through an intermediate ring 94. Screw holes 49z, 92z, and 96z are provided at corresponding positions on the container bottom plate protrusion 49b provided on the container bottom plate 49, the annular printed circuit board 92, and the circuit chamber bottom plate protrusion 96a provided on the circuit chamber bottom plate 96 of the circuit chamber 9, and the container bottom plate protrusion 49b, the printed circuit board 92, and the circuit chamber bottom plate protrusion 96a are screwed together by a screw commonly inserted into these screw holes.

A container bottom plate 49 of the container 4 has a container bottom plate opening 49a, and an electrode structure holding plate 29 is fixed to the container bottom plate 49 by screwing (with screws not shown) or by other methods such as adhesive so as to cover the container bottom plate opening 49a from below. An electrode structure 2 is provided upright on the electrode structure holding plate 29. The electrode structure 2 extends from the container bottom plate opening 49a into the container 4, i.e., upward, and its height is higher than the upper surface of the container bottom plate 49 of the container 4.

The shape of the container bottom plate opening 49a is approximately rectangular in plan view. The upper surface of the container bottom plate 49 is inclined at the edge of the container bottom plate opening 49a. Therefore, the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 has a downwardly recessed recessed basin 48 consisting of the recessed basin slope 48b, which is the slope, and the recessed basin bottom surface 48a surrounded by the recessed basin slope 48b, and the electrode structure 2 is erected on the recessed basin bottom surface 48a. In the embodiment shown in Figure (3A), the recessed basin bottom surface 48a is composed of a part of the upper surface of the electrode structure holding plate 29. As a modified form of this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure (5A), when the electrode structure holding plate and the container bottom plate are formed integrally, the recessed basin 48 is provided directly on the upper surface of the container bottom plate.

<Fixing of electrode structure> To fix the electrode structure 2 to the electrode structure holding plate 29 or the container bottom plate 49, a slit is provided in the electrode structure holding plate 29 or the container bottom plate 49, and the anode connection protrusion 25 extending from the anode member 21 constituting the electrode structure 2 (see FIG. 3) and the cathode connection protrusion 26 extending from the cathode member 22 are inserted into the slit to connect the conductors, and a corrosion-resistant resin is poured into the slit and allowed to harden, thereby fixing the electrode structure 2 to the electrode structure holding plate 29 or the container bottom plate 49 so as to maintain a watertight seal between the inside of the container 4 and the circuit chamber 9.

The materials constituting the container side walls 4a, container bottom plate 49, electrode structure holding plate 29, and electrode structure support frame 28 are not particularly limited, but for example, acrylic resin and polycarbonate resin can be preferably used. The materials constituting the head cover 51a, lever 54, power supply unit 6, circuit chamber side walls 95, and circuit chamber bottom plate 96 are not particularly limited, but for example, ABS resin and polycarbonate resin can be preferably used.

<Circuit chamber and connection terminal> A connection terminal portion 91 is provided on the circuit chamber bottom plate 96 of the circuit chamber 9 at a position corresponding to the electrode portion 62 of the power supply unit 6 when placed. The connection terminal portion 91 consists of three needle-shaped terminals, a positive terminal 91a, a negative terminal 91b, and a control terminal 91c, each of which is provided with a spring mechanism (not shown). When placed, each needle-shaped terminal makes reliable electrical contact with the corresponding annular electrode of the electrode unit 62, that is, the positive electrode 62a, the negative electrode 62b, or the control electrode 62c, due to the restoring force of the spring. A DC voltage and a DC current are supplied from the connection terminal portion 91 to the anode connection protrusion 25 and the cathode connection protrusion 26 of the electrode structure 2 via the printed circuit board 92.

<Change in ozone concentration after generation> Figure 8 is a graph showing the change in ozone concentration over time in ozone water after ozone water is generated by electrolysis in an embodiment of the present invention described later. Curve C1 shows the ozone concentration when 115 mL of raw water is electrolyzed for only 4 minutes to generate ozone water (Example 1), and curve C2 shows the ozone concentration when 80 mL of raw water is electrolyzed for only 2 minutes to generate ozone water (Example 2). The horizontal axis shows the elapsed time from the end of electrolysis. Immediately after the end of electrolysis, the ozone concentration of the ozone water is not uniform and the measured concentration is not stable, so data after 4 minutes is shown. In both cases, the ozone concentration decreases with time. In case 1, the ozone concentration after 20 minutes was 0.5 mg/L or more, and in case 2, the ozone concentration after 10 minutes was 0.5 mg/L or more. Case 1 corresponds to the case where raw water 43 is filled into the container 4 up to the first water level line 43b in FIG. (3C), and case 2 corresponds to the case where raw water 43 is filled up to the second water level line 43c.

<Status display during ozone water generation> In one embodiment of the present invention, during the generation of ozone water by electrolysis, the main lamp 92b and either the first generation lamp 65b or the second generation lamp 65c, which are green LED lamps depending on the volume of raw water to be electrolyzed, are turned on to display the current status of the ozone water generating spray device to the user. The main lamp 92b is a blue LED lamp provided on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 92 of the circuit chamber 9, and illuminates the raw water in the container 4 through the translucent container bottom plate 9 (see FIG. 3A). When the generation of ozone water is completed, the main lamp 92b and the first generation lamp 65b or the second generation lamp 65c are turned off.

<Display of the efficacy of ozone water> In one embodiment of the present invention, when the generation of ozone water by electrolysis is completed, the main lamp 92b, which is a blue LED lamp, is turned off and the sub-lamp 92c, which is a green LED lamp, is turned on instead. The sub-lamp 92c is a green LED lamp provided on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 92 of the circuit chamber 9, and illuminates the raw water in the container 4 through the translucent container bottom plate 9 (see FIG. 3A). After the generation of ozone water is completed, the sub-lamp 92c is turned on for a predetermined time according to the volume of raw water used for electrolysis and then turned off. When raw water 43 is poured into the container 4 up to the first water level line 43b and ozone water is generated by pressing the first generation button 64b, the sub lamp 92c is lit for the first effective time (e.g., 20 minutes), and when raw water 43 is poured into the container 4 up to the second water level line 43c and ozone water is generated by pressing the second generation button 64c, the sub lamp 92c is lit for the second effective time (e.g., 10 minutes). The first effective time and the second effective time are determined in consideration of the sterilization and deodorization effects of the ozone water sprayed. While the sub lamp 92c is lit, if the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is held by hand, lifted from the power supply unit 6, and ozone water is sprayed by rotating the lever 54 with a finger, the ozone concentration of the ozone water in the container 4 at the time of spraying will not fall below 0.5 mL, and a certain sterilization and deodorization effect can be expected.

<Configuration of the control unit> The power supply unit 6 has a control unit 63. The control unit 63 controls the potential of each electrode of the electrode unit 62 and the current flowing through each electrode in response to an operation input from the operation button 64, and controls the turning on and off of each lamp of the display lamp 65, and further sends a control signal to a sub-control unit 92a provided on a printed circuit board 92 of the circuit chamber 9 of the container 4 through a control electrode 62c. The sub-control unit 92a receives a control signal from the control unit 63 and controls the potential of the anode connection protrusion 25 and the cathode connection protrusion 26 of the electrode structure 2 and the current flowing through each connection protrusion, and controls the turning on and off of the main lamp 92b and the sub-lamp 93c. The control unit 63 has a CPU, a timer, a volatile memory, and a storage means, and the sub-control unit 92a also has a CPU, a volatile memory, and a storage means.

9 is a flow diagram showing the main control flow of the control performed by the control unit 63 in the ozone water generating spray device 7 of one embodiment of the present invention. When the power cord of the ozone water generating spray device 7 is plugged into an outlet, the main control flow starts in step S1. Next, in step S2, it is checked whether it is connected to a power source, and if it is connected, the process proceeds to step S3, and if it is not connected, the process returns to step S2. In step S3, the power lamp is turned on for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) to indicate to the user that it is connected to the power source. Next, in step S4, it is checked whether the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is seated on the power supply unit 6, and if it is seated, the process proceeds to step S5, and if it is not seated, the process returns to step S4. Next, in step S5, an initial value of 0 is substituted for a variable "state" that stores the state. Next, in steps S6, S7, and S8, it is checked whether any of the first generation button 64b, the second generation button 64c, and the power button 64a has been pressed. If the first generation button 64b has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S9. If the second generation button 64c has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S10. If the power button 64a has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S11. If none of the buttons has been pressed, the process returns to step S4. In step S9, the variable "state" is assigned a value of 1, the first generation lamp 65b is turned on, and the first generation processing time (e.g., 240 seconds) is assigned to the variable "t _E ", and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S10, the variable "state" is assigned a value of 2, the second generation lamp 65c is turned on, and the second generation processing time (e.g., 120 seconds) is assigned to the variable "t _E ", and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S11, the power lamp 65a is turned on for a predetermined period of time (for example, 3 seconds), and the process proceeds to step S14, where an end process is performed.

In step S12, the ozone water generation process described below is performed. Next, in step S13, the post-generation process of the ozone water described below is performed, and the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the termination process described below is performed, and the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the main control flow ends.

The flow of the generation process in step S12 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the generation process, raw water is electrolyzed for a predetermined time to generate ozone water. At that time, it is desirable to display the current state to the user in an easy-to-understand manner. In step S12s, the generation process starts. Next, in step S20, the time t of the timer is set to an initial value of zero (t←0), and the timer is started. Next, in step S21, the presence or absence of an abnormality is checked. An abnormality means an abnormality in the current value of the electrode unit 2, an abnormality in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, detection that the ozone water generating sprayer 1 is not placed on the power supply unit 6, etc. If an abnormality is detected, the process proceeds to an error termination process in step S25 described later, and then to step S15 to terminate the main control flow. Here, the error termination process is a process of turning off all the lamps after turning on the display lamp 65 for a predetermined time, and grounding all the terminals of the connection terminal unit 91. If no abnormality is detected, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, it is determined whether the power button is pressed, and if the answer is YES, the process proceeds to step S26, and if the answer is NO, the process proceeds to step S23. In step S26, the power lamp 65a is turned on for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds), and the process proceeds to the end process of step S27, and then to step S15 to end the main control flow. Here, the end process is a process of turning off all the lamps and grounding all the terminals of the connection terminal unit 91. In step S23, the electrode structure 2 is turned on and the main lamp 92b is turned on, and the process proceeds to step S24. In order to turn the electrode structure 2 on, the control unit 63 sends a control signal to the sub-control unit 92a via the control electrode 62c, and the sub-control unit 92c turns the electrode structure 2 on based on the control signal. In order to turn the main lamp 92b on, the control unit 63 sends a control signal to the sub-control unit 92a via the control electrode 62c, and the sub-control unit 92a turns the main lamp 92b on based on the control signal. The same is true for the secondary lamp 92c. In step S24, it is determined whether the time t of the timer is greater than the variable "t _E ". If YES, the process proceeds to step S12e, where the generation process ends, and the process returns to the main control flow. If NO, the process returns to step S21.

With reference to FIG. 11, the flow of the post-generation process in step S13 will be described. In the post-generation process, it is desirable to display to the user in an easy-to-understand manner whether the current ozone concentration of the ozone water generated after electrolysis is effective for sterilization and deodorization. In step S13s, the post-generation process starts. Next, in step S30, the control unit 63 and the sub-control unit 92a cooperate with each other in the same manner as above to put the electrode structure 2 into a non-energized state and put the main lamp 92b into an off state. Next, in steps S31 and S32, it is checked whether the value of the variable "state" is 1, 2, or neither 1 nor 2. If state=1, the process proceeds to step S33, and if state=2, the process proceeds to step S34. If state is neither 1 nor 2, this is abnormal, so the process proceeds to step S25 to perform the error termination process, and then the process proceeds to step S15 to end the main control flow. In step S33, the first generating lamp 65b is turned off, the first effective time (for example, 20 minutes) is substituted for the variable "t _G ", and the process proceeds to step S35. In step S34, the second generating lamp 65c is turned off, the second effective time (for example, 10 minutes) is substituted for the variable "t _G ", and the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, the initial value 0 is substituted for the time t of the timer (t←0), the timer is started, the sub-lamp 92c is turned on, and the process proceeds to step S36. In step S36, it is determined whether the power button 64a is pressed. If YES, the process proceeds to step S39, where the power lamp is turned on for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds), and then the process proceeds to step S13e, where the post-generation process is terminated and the process returns to the main control flow. If NO, the process proceeds to step S37. In step S37, it is determined whether the time t of the timer is greater than the variable " _tG ", and if YES, the process proceeds to step S38, and if NO, the process returns to step S36. In step S38, the sub lamp 92c is turned off, and then the process proceeds to step S13e. In step S13e, the post-generation process is terminated and the process returns to the main control flow.

<Configuration of electrode structure> Next, various configurations of the electrode structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view (12A) and a perspective view (12B) of an electrode structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a top view (13A) and a side view (13B) of the electrode structure shown in FIG. 12. In this embodiment, the electrode structure 2 is composed of a rectangular plate-shaped anode member 21, a cathode member 22 having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section that faces the anode member 21 across the electrode gap 23, a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 sandwiched between the anode member 21 and the cathode member 22, and a gap flow path 24 that is the space portion of the electrode gap 23 other than the string-shaped insulating spacer 30. In this embodiment, the string-shaped insulating spacer 30 is an O-ring 30a that wraps around the anode member 21. Every part of the O-ring 30a is oriented in a direction that intersects with the vertical direction (see the vertical upward direction indicated by the arrow 45 indicating the vertical direction) when the container 4 is placed thereon to perform electrolysis. In particular, the angle θ between the orientation direction 31 of the string-shaped insulating spacer 30 (the direction of the maximum inclination diameter of the O-ring 30a) and the arrow 45 indicating the vertical direction is not 0° but is an acute angle.

In Fig. 12, the number of O-rings 30a around the anode member 21 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 around the anode member 21 does not have to be the O-ring 30a, and may be a string 30b that spirally winds the anode member 21. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 does not necessarily have to be wound around the entire circumference of the anode member 21 without gaps, and in a modified embodiment of this embodiment, it may be composed of a plurality of separated arcs from the viewpoint of ensuring the mobility of the raw water 43 in the electrode gap 23. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 does not necessarily have to have the same thickness around the entire circumference of the anode member 21, and in another modified embodiment of this embodiment, it may be composed of a string-shaped insulating material whose thickness varies depending on the location from the viewpoint of ensuring the mobility of the raw water 43 near the cathode member 22 in the electrode gap 23.
The material of the string-shaped insulating spacer 30 of the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples of suitable materials include fluororesin, soft fluororesin, Viton rubber, silicone rubber, PVC rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, etc., and from the standpoint of corrosion resistance, fluororesin and soft fluororesin are preferred.

In FIG. 12, the negative electrode member 22 has multiple holes 27. Providing multiple holes in the negative electrode member 22 ensures the flow of raw water 43 between the electrode gap 23 and the container 4, accelerating the ozone production reaction, and efficiently producing ozone water 42. In FIG. 12, the negative electrode member 22 has a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section with one opening on its side. Note that in the present invention, it is also possible to configure the negative electrode member 22 in FIG. 12 without providing holes. This also applies to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 and 13 to 17.

In FIG. 13, the string-shaped insulating spacer 30, which is made of an O-ring 30a, is preferably made of an elastic material. In that case, the electrode structure 2 is formed by inserting the anode member 21, which is wound with the string-shaped insulating spacer 30, into the cathode member 22. According to this embodiment, the electrode structure 2 can be formed by simple insertion without using adhesive, and the structure is maintained by the elasticity of the string-shaped insulating spacer 30, so that an ozone water generating sprayer 1 having an electrode structure 2 that is simple in structure and easy to manufacture can be provided.

In the present invention, the material constituting the anode member 21 is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical conductivity, but from the viewpoints of corrosion resistance and catalytic action in the ozone production reaction, it is preferable that at least the surface of the anode member 21 contains a precious metal such as platinum or iridium and an oxide thereof, or a niobium oxide, or a tantalum oxide, or carbon. An anode connecting protrusion 25 is provided extending from the anode member 21.

In the present invention, the material constituting the negative electrode member 22 is not particularly limited as long as it is conductive, but from the viewpoint of not becoming embrittled by the generated hydrogen, platinum group elements, nickel, stainless steel, titanium, zirconium, gold, silver, carbon, etc. are preferred. A negative electrode connection protrusion 26 is provided extending from the negative electrode member 22.

Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view (14A), a perspective view (14B), and a perspective view (14C) of an electrode structure 2 in another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of this embodiment is common to the embodiment shown in Figure 12 in many respects, so the differences will be mainly described. In the embodiment shown in Figures (14A) and (14B), the anode member 21 is cylindrical, and the cathode member 22 is cylindrical. A string-shaped insulating spacer 30 composed of an O-ring 30a is wound around the side of the cylinder of the anode member 21. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 is sandwiched between the anode member 21 and the cathode member 22, and its orientation direction is a direction that intersects with the vertical direction. Figure (14C) shows a modified form of this embodiment. In this modified form, the anode member 21 is cylindrical in order to reduce the amount of precious metals and the like that constitute the anode member 21. The number of O-rings 30a around the anode member 21 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 around the anode member 21 does not have to be an O-ring 30a, and may be a string 30b that spirally winds the anode member 21. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 does not necessarily have to be wound around the entire circumference of the anode member 21 without gaps, and in a modified form of this embodiment, it may be composed of a plurality of separated arcs from the viewpoint of ensuring the mobility of the raw water 43 in the electrode gap 23. The string-shaped insulating spacer 30 does not necessarily have to have the same thickness around the entire circumference of the anode member 21, and in another modified form of this embodiment, it may be composed of a string-shaped insulating material whose thickness varies depending on the location from the viewpoint of ensuring the mobility of the raw water 43 near the cathode member 22 in the electrode gap 23.

Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view (15A) and a perspective view (15B) of an electrode structure 2 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of this embodiment is common in many respects to the previously described embodiment, so the differences will be mainly described. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 12 only in the structure of the negative electrode member 22. In this embodiment, the negative electrode member 22 is made of two separate plates, and these two plates sandwich the positive electrode member 21 wound with a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 to form the electrode structure 2. Each member constituting the electrode structure 2 is fixed to each other by adhesion, fusion, fastening, etc. In Figure 15, the negative electrode member 22 is made of two separate plates and has two openings on its side, so that the raw water 43 moving from the outside into and out of the electrode gap 23 has a large degree of freedom of movement. Therefore, raw water 43 can be efficiently introduced into the electrode gap 23 from outside the electrode structure 2, and the generated ozone water 42 can be efficiently sent from inside the electrode gap 23 to the outside of the electrode structure 2, so that ozone water can be efficiently generated.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of an electrode structure 2 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of this embodiment is similar in many respects to the previously described embodiment, so the differences will be mainly described. This embodiment is a modified version of the embodiment shown in Figure 12. In Figure 16, the electrode structure 2 is configured by inserting n plate-shaped anode members 21, where n is an integer of 2 or more, wrapped with string-shaped insulating spacers 30 into the recesses of a plate-shaped cathode member 22 having n recesses. When n is 2, the cross-sectional shape of the cathode member is "m-shaped". In this embodiment, the surface area of the anode member 21 where the ozone generation reaction occurs is large, so ozone water can be generated efficiently.

Figure 17 is a perspective view of an electrode structure 2 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of this embodiment is similar in many respects to the previously described embodiment, so the differences will be mainly described. This embodiment is a modified version of the embodiment shown in Figure 15. In Figure 17, the electrode structure 2 is configured such that n plate-shaped anode members 21, where n is an integer of 2 or more, are wound with string-shaped insulating spacers 30 and inserted between (n+1) plate-shaped cathode members 22, and each member is fixed to each other by adhesion, fusion, fastening, etc. In this embodiment, the surface area of the anode member 21 where the ozone generation reaction occurs is large, so that ozone water can be generated efficiently.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing various ways of winding the string-like insulating spacer 30 around the plate-like anode member 21 in the embodiment of the present invention.
The anode member 21 shown in Figure (18A) has a rectangular shape excluding the anode connecting protrusion 25, and is wrapped with a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 consisting of two O-rings 30a, and the angle θ between the arrow 45 indicating the vertical direction and the orientation direction 31 of the string-shaped insulating spacer 30 is θ = 60°.
The anode member 21 shown in Figure (18C) is the same anode member as in Figure (18A), with a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 consisting of two O-rings 30a wound around it and oriented horizontally, and the angle θ is θ = 90°.
The anode member 21 shown in Figure (18D) is the same anode member as in Figure (18A), with a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 consisting of two O-rings 30a wound around it and oriented in the vertical direction, and the angle θ is θ = 0°.
The anode member 21 shown in Figure (18B) is the same anode member as in Figure (18A), with a string-shaped insulating spacer 30 made of a string wound spirally around it and oriented in a direction that forms an angle of 60° with the vertical direction, with the angle θ being θ = 60°.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present invention, a recessed basin portion 48 is provided on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4, and the electrode structure 2 is erected on the bottom surface 48a of the recessed basin, thereby promoting convection of the raw water in the container 4 and increasing the concentration of the ozone water generated compared to the conventional technology in which the recessed basin portion 48 is not provided. An experiment was conducted to compare the concentration of the ozone water generated when the inner bottom surface 46 has and does not have the recessed basin portion 48, while keeping other conditions constant.

Example: When a concave tray is provided
As shown in FIG. 18C, the anode member 21 is rectangular except for the anode connection protrusion 25, and the length of two sides of the rectangle is 14 mm and 22 mm. The platinum anode member 21 is 1.0 mm thick. A string-shaped insulating spacer 30 consisting of two O-rings 30a with a thickness of 2.0 mm is wound around the anode member 21, and oriented in a direction forming an angle of 90° with the vertical direction. The anode member 21 around which the string-shaped insulating spacer 30 is wound is inserted into the cathode member 22 having a U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 12 to form the electrode structure 2. The titanium cathode member 22 is 0.6 mm thick and rectangular in front view except for the cathode connection protrusion 26, and the length of two sides of the rectangle is 15 mm and 23 mm. The width of the cathode member 22 in side view is 5 mm. The cathode member 22 has many holes 27. This electrode configuration 2 was erected at the center of the bottom surface 48a of a basin 48 provided on the flat upper bottom surface 46 of the bottom plate 49 of a transparent basin 4 shown in Fig. 1. The basin 4 was cylindrical with an inner diameter of 50 mm and a height of 80 mm, and had a volume of 1.6 x ¹⁰² mL when full. The basin 48 was rectangular in plan view and consisted of a rectangular basin bottom surface 48a and a vertical basin slope 48b surrounding it, with the lengths of the two sides of the rectangle being 19 mm and 9 mm. The height of the vertical basin slope 48b was 5 mm. 115 mL (Example 1: corresponding to the first water level line 43b) or 80 mL (Example 2: corresponding to the second water level line 43c) of raw water 43 was poured into the container 4, and the electrode structure 2 was immersed below the water surface. The water temperature was then adjusted, and when it was confirmed that the water temperature had reached 20°C, a constant voltage of 12V was applied between the anode member 21 and the cathode member 22 for 240 seconds (Example 1) or 120 seconds (Example 2) to perform electrolysis. During this time, the current value was about 1.0 A. While keeping the water temperature at 20°C, immediately after 5 minutes had elapsed from the end of electrolysis, the raw water 43 (and the ozone water 42) in the container 4 was transferred to a cleaned beaker, and the ozone concentration was measured using Pack Test (Ozone WAK-O3, manufactured by Kyoritsu Rikagaku Kenkyusho). The experiment was repeated five times, and the average value of the five measurements was taken as the measured value of the ozone concentration. The measured ozone concentration was 1.8 mg/L (Example 1) and 1.1 mg/L (Example 2). Note that, as the raw water 43, a commercially available mineral water (Volvic, Kirin Co., Ltd.) was used, which was confirmed to have hardness and TDS values close to the average values of tap water nationwide and to be almost constant.

<Comparative Example: When no concave tray portion is provided>
The electrode structure 2 was constructed in the same manner as in the embodiment, and was erected in the center of the flat upper bottom surface 46 of the container bottom plate 49 of the transparent container 4 shown in FIG. 1. No concave basin was provided on the upper bottom surface 46. The other conditions were exactly the same as in the embodiments 1 and 2, and ozone water was generated by electrolysis and the ozone concentration was measured. 115 mL (Comparative Example 1: corresponding to the first water level line 43b) or 80 mL (Comparative Example 2: corresponding to the second water level line 43c) of raw water 43 was charged into the container 4, and electrolysis was performed for 240 seconds (Comparative Example 1) or 120 seconds (Comparative Example 2) in the same manner, and the ozone concentration was measured 5 minutes after the end of the electrolysis. A constant voltage of 12 V was applied during the electrolysis, and the current value was about 1.0 A. The average value of the five measurements was taken as the measured value of the ozone concentration. The measured values of the ozone concentration were 0.6 mg/L (Comparative Example 1) and 0.4 mg/L (Comparative Example 2).

The ozone concentrations measured in Examples 1 and 2 were approximately three times those in Comparative Examples 1 and 2. When the convection occurring in the raw water 43 in the container 4 during electrolysis was visually confirmed, the convection occurring in Comparative Example 1 was obviously weaker than that in Example 1, and was localized near the electrode structure 2 and small in scale. Similarly, the convection occurring in Comparative Example 2 was obviously weaker than that in Example 2, and was localized near the electrode structure 2 and small in scale. By providing a recessed basin portion 48 on the inner bottom surface 46 of the container 4 and erecting the electrode structure 2 on the bottom surface 48a of the recessed basin, the convection of the raw water in the container 4 is promoted, ozone is efficiently generated by electrolysis, and the ozone concentration of the generated ozone water can be increased by approximately three times.

<Verification of Safety> The ozone water at a temperature of 20°C produced in Example 1 was sprayed 10 times in a space of ^{1 m3} at room temperature of 25°C by holding the spray mechanism 5 by hand and rotating the lever 54, and then the spatial ozone concentration was measured. Five experiments were performed to obtain the average value, and the results shown in the table below were obtained. The amount of ozone water discharged per spray was about 0.4 mL.
Time from the completion of ozone water generation Air ozone concentration (ppm)
(Before spraying) 0.00250
0 minutes later (immediately after completion of generation) 0.00625
1 minute later 0.00875
15 minutes later 0.00500
30 minutes later 0.00250
High concentrations of ozone are harmful to the human body, but with the ozone water generating sprayer of the present invention, the ozone concentration is lowered by spraying it in a mist form, and it has been found that the spatial ozone concentration is kept at a safe value of 0.01 ppm or less.

<Verification of sterilization effect>
The ozone water at 20°C generated in Example 1 was dropped onto the target bacteria on the slide one minute after the completion of generation, and the number of live bacteria was examined after 15 seconds using an optical microscope. As a result, it was confirmed that 99% of the target bacteria had been sterilized. The target bacteria were collected from the kitchen and toilet of the sample home.

<Verification of deodorizing effect>
Five minutes after the completion of the generation of ozone water at a temperature of 20°C in Example 1, a bag of 10 L volume containing gaseous malodorous substances and air was sprayed 10 times at room temperature of 20°C by holding the spray mechanism 5 by hand and rotating the lever 54, and the concentration before and 10 minutes after spraying was measured by gas chromatography to calculate the deodorization rate. The experiment was repeated five times, and the average value was calculated, and the results shown in the table below were obtained. Note that isovaleric acid is one of the substances that cause body odor.
Malodorous substances Deodorization rate after 10 minutes Isovaleric acid 84.6%
Acetic acid 80.0%
Ammonia 45.0%
Isovaleric acid, acetic acid, and ammonia are the substances that cause bad odors in toilets and shoeboxes, pet odors, body odor, cigarette and car odors, and odors from clothes, furniture, sofas, curtains, etc.
It has been found that spraying ozone water (electrolyzed water) generated by the ozone water generating sprayer of the present invention has a deodorizing effect against these malodors.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention includes various combinations, modifications, and design changes that do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

The present invention provides an inexpensive, simple, and highly efficient ozone water generation method, generation sprayer, and generation sprayer that can be used at home by providing a recessed tray on the inner bottom surface of the container and erecting an electrode structure on the bottom surface of the recessed tray to control the convection that occurs in the raw water in the container and promote the convection to encourage the ozone generation reaction. The technical idea of controlling the convection that occurs in the raw water in the container by devising the shape of the inner bottom surface of the container and improving the efficiency of ozone generation is a new one not found in the prior art. The ozone water generation method, generation sprayer, and generation sprayer of the present invention can be easily used by individuals at home and can be widely used in the industry related to the manufacture and sale of electrical appliances.

1 Electrolyzed water generating sprayer 2 Electrode structure 4 Container 5 Spray mechanism 6 Power supply 7 Electrolyzed water generating spray device 9 Circuit chamber 21 Anode member 22 Cathode member 23 Electrode gap 24 Gap flow path 25 Anode connection protrusion 26 Cathode connection protrusion 27 Hole 28 Electrode structure support frame 28a Support frame opening 28b Support frame upper member 29 Electrode structure holding plate 30 String-shaped insulating spacer 30a O-ring 30b String 31 Arrow indicating orientation direction (of string-shaped insulating spacer) 4a Container side wall 4x Water injection port 42 Ozone water (electrolyzed water) 42a Water surface 43 Raw water 43b First water level line 43c Second water level line 45 Arrow indicating vertical direction 46 Inner bottom surface 46g Groove 47 Inner surface 48 Recessed tray portion 48a Recessed tray portion bottom surface 48a2 Second basin bottom surface 48b Basin slope 49b2 Second basin slope 49 Container bottom plate 49a Container bottom plate opening 49b Container bottom plate protrusion 49z Screw hole 5x Spray cap 5y Arrow 5z Rotation arrow 51 Head portion 51a Head portion cover 52 Tube 53 Nozzle 54 Lever 54a Lever lock 61 AC-DC adapter 61a Power cord 62 Electrode portion 62a Positive electrode 62b Negative electrode 62c Control electrode 63 Control unit 64 Operation button 64a Power button 64b First generation button 64c Second generation button 65 Indicator lamp 65a Power lamp 65b First generation lamp 65c Second generation lamp 66 Power supply portion protrusion 81 Ascending water flow 82 Downward water flow 82a Basin portion downward water flow 82b Bottom water flow 91 Connection terminal portion 91a Positive terminal 91b Negative terminal 91c Control terminal 92 Printed circuit board 92a Sub-control portion 92b Main lamp 92c Sub-lamp 92z Screw hole 94 Interposition ring 95 Circuit chamber side wall 96 Circuit chamber bottom plate 96a Circuit chamber bottom plate protrusion 96z Screw holes C1, C2 Curve

Claims (3)

A method for generating electrolytic water in an electrolytic water generating sprayer including at least a container for storing raw water and a spraying mechanism for spraying electrolytic water generated from the raw water in the container,
A downwardly recessed recessed tray portion is provided on an inner bottom surface of the container, the recessed tray portion having a recessed tray bottom surface,
an electrode structure is provided upright on a bottom surface of the recessed tray in the container;
the electrode structure is provided upright in the recessed tray provided on an upper surface of a container bottom plate of the container, or the electrode structure is provided upright on an electrode structure holding plate fixed to the container bottom plate so as to cover from below a container bottom plate opening provided in the container bottom plate,
the electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member disposed across an electrode gap from the anode member, the cathode member being provided with a plurality of holes through which the raw water and/or the electrolyzed water can enter and exit the electrode gap;
A water inlet is provided on an upper surface of the container, and the spray mechanism is attached to the water inlet;
A voltage is applied to the electrode structure to electrolyze the raw water to generate electrolyzed water;
A method for generating electrolyzed water, characterized in that an upward water current is generated by buoyancy acting vertically on the raw water in the electrode structure during electrolysis, and a downward water current is generated in which the raw water flows down the concave basin toward the bottom of the concave basin, thereby promoting convection of the raw water in the container, and supplying the raw water to the electrode structure to progress the electrolyzed water generation reaction by electrolysis and increase the concentration of the generated electrolyzed water. A container for storing raw water;
An electrode structure for electrolyzing the raw water in the container to generate electrolyzed water;
A spray mechanism for spraying the electrolytic water;
An electrolytic water generating sprayer comprising:
The inner bottom surface of the container has a concave basin portion that is concave downward, and the concave basin portion has a concave basin bottom surface,
The electrode structure is provided upright on a bottom surface of the recessed basin in the container,
the electrode structure is provided upright in the recessed tray provided on an upper surface of a container bottom plate of the container, or the electrode structure is provided upright on an electrode structure holding plate fixed to the container bottom plate so as to cover from below a container bottom plate opening provided in the container bottom plate,
A water inlet is provided on an upper surface of the container, and the spray mechanism is attached to the water inlet ;
The electrode structure includes an anode member and a cathode member arranged across an electrode gap from the anode member, and the cathode member is provided with a plurality of holes through which the raw water and/or the electrolyzed water can enter and exit the electrode gap . An electrolytic water generating spray device comprising the electrolytic water generating sprayer according to claim 2 and a power supply unit for mounting the electrolytic water generating sprayer,
The power supply unit or the electrolytic water generating sprayer has a control unit and a lamp,
The control unit controls the lamp to be lit for a predetermined time after the electrolytic water generation process is completed to indicate that the concentration of the electrolytic water in the container is a valid concentration.

Images