IP Library Granted Patent US 11,242,273
Granted Patent B2
US 11,242,273 · App. 16/488,592 · Granted Feb 8, 2022

Ion removal device

Inventors: Yasunari Maeda (Osaka, JP); Tomohiro Akita (Osaka, JP); Ayane Kihara (Nara, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
C02F5/02C02F1/28C02F1/68C02F2101/10C02F2303/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,242,273
App. No.
16/488,592
Granted
Feb 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ion removal device includes a hard water storage section configured to store hard water; and a fine bubble generation means configured to generate fine bubbles and supply the bubbles to the hard water storage section, wherein, in the hard water storage section, metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water.

Claims (45)

1. An ion removal device comprising:

a hard water storage section configured to store hard water; and

a fine bubble generation means configured to generate fine bubbles and supplying the bubbles to the hard water storage section,

wherein, in the hard water storage section, metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water,

wherein the metal ions adsorbed to the fine bubbles are crystallized and precipitated in the hard water storage section, and

further comprising a separation means configured to separate the crystallized and precipitated crystal in the hard water storage section.

2. The ion removal device according claim 1 , wherein, in the hard water storage section, the metal ions are removed from the hard water by discharge of the fine bubbles adsorbing the metal ions from the hard water.

3. An ion removal device comprising:

a hard water storage section configured to store hard water; and

a fine bubble generation means configured to generate fine bubbles and supplying the bubbles to the hard water storage section,

wherein, in the hard water storage section, metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water,

wherein the fine bubble generation means is configured to generate the fine bubbles with a mixture gas of a first gas and a second gas, and wherein the first gas is a hydroxyl ion-donating gas configured to react with water to donate hydroxyl ions and the second gas has a slower solution velocity than that of the first gas,

wherein a mixing ratio of the first gas in the mixture gas is higher than that of the second gas, and

wherein the mixing ratio of the first gas in the mixture gas is 70% or higher.

4. The ion removal device according to claim 3 , wherein the first gas is a soluble basic gas.

5. The ion removal device according to claim 4 , wherein the first gas is ammonia and the second gas is nitrogen.

6. An ion removal device comprising:

a hard water storage section configured to store hard water; and

a fine bubble generation means configured to generate fine bubbles and supplying the bubbles to the hard water storage section,

wherein, in the hard water storage section, metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water, and

further comprising a carbon dioxide gas generation means for generating carbon dioxide gas, wherein the carbon dioxide gas generated by the carbon dioxide gas generation means is supplied to the hard water storage section before the supply of the fine bubbles generated by the fine bubble generation means to the hard water storage section.

7. The ion removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the fine bubble generation means incorporates air to generate the fine bubbles.

8. The ion removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the fine bubble generation means incorporates a gas other than air to generate the fine bubbles.

9. The ion removal device according to claim 8 , wherein the fine bubble generation means incorporates nitrogen to generate the fine bubbles.

10. The ion removal device according to claim 1 , wherein, after the metal ions are removed from the hard water, the fine bubble generation means supplies fine carbon dioxide bubbles to the hard water storage section for performing regeneration treatment.

11. An ion removal method comprising:

a generation step of generating fine bubbles; and

a first supply step of supplying the generated fine bubbles to hard water, wherein, in the first supply step, the metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water,

wherein the fine bubbles generated in the generation step is a mixture gas of the first gas and the second gas, and wherein the first gas is a hydroxyl ion-donating gas for reacting with water to donate the hydroxyl ions and the second gas has a slower solution velocity than that of the first gas,

wherein a mixing ratio of the first gas in the mixture gas is higher than that of the second gas, and

wherein the mixing ratio of the first gas in the mixture gas is set to 70% or higher.

12. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , wherein the metal ions adsorbed to the fine bubbles in the first supply step are crystallized and precipitated.

13. The ion removal method according to claim 12 , further comprising a separation step of separating the crystallized and precipitated crystal.

14. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , further comprising a discharge step of discharging the fine bubbles adsorbing the metal ions in the first supply step from the hard water, thereby removing the metal ions from the hard water.

15. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , wherein the first gas is a soluble basic gas.

16. The ion removal method according to claim 15 , wherein the first gas is ammonia and the second gas is nitrogen.

17. An ion removal method comprising:

a generation step of generating fine bubbles; and

a first supply step of supplying the generated fine bubbles to hard water,

wherein, in the first supply step, the metal ions in the hard water are adsorbed to the fine bubbles to be removed from the hard water, and

further comprising a second supply step of generating carbon dioxide gas to be supplied to the hard water before the first supply step.

18. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , wherein the fine bubbles are generated from air in the generation step.

19. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , wherein the fine bubbles are generated from a gas other than air in the generation step.

20. The ion removal method according to claim 19 , wherein fine bubbles are generated from nitrogen in the generation step.

21. The ion removal method according to claim 11 , further comprising a regeneration step to perform regeneration treatment by supplying fine carbon dioxide bubbles after the metal ions are removed from the hard water in the first supply step.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 17, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 075166/0563 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 17, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC HOUSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 075144/0149 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2020
From: MAEDA, YASUNARI; AKITA, TOMOHIRO; KIHARA, AYANE
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051456/0919 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP JP2017-037503 · Feb 28, 2017 · national
JP JP2017-141115 · Jul 20, 2017 · national
JP JP2017-230768 · Nov 30, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210221722A1 · Jul 22, 2021