Ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus and ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11759756-B2
Application number	US-202017084809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

In order to efficiently produce a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles of a desired gas, an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus includes a gas dissolving unit that dissolves a predetermined gas into a liquid, and a UFB generating unit that generates ultrafine bubbles in the liquid in which the predetermined gas is dissolved. A CPU performs control under a first condition in a case of causing the gas dissolving unit to operate in a circulation route passing through the dissolving unit. The CPU performs control under a second condition different from the first condition in a case of causing the UFB generating unit to operate in a circulation route passing through the UFB generating unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus comprising:
a storing chamber for storing a liquid;
a dissolving unit that dissolves a predetermined gas into a liquid;
an ultrafine bubble generating unit that generates ultrafine bubbles in the liquid in which the predetermined gas is dissolved; and
a circulation controlling unit that controls circulation of a liquid through liquid circulation routes including the dissolving unit and the ultrafine bubble generating unit,
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a first condition that defines a state of the liquid to be circulated, through a circulation route passing through the dissolving unit in a case of causing the dissolving unit to operate in the circulation route, and
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a second condition different from the first condition through a circulation route passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit in a case of causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit to operate in the circulation route,
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the first condition through a first circulation route starting from the storing chamber, passing through the dissolving unit, and returning to the storing chamber without passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit, in a case of causing the dissolving unit to operate in the first circulation route, and
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the second condition through a second circulation route starting from the storing chamber, passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit, and returning to the storing chamber without passing through the dissolving unit, in a case of causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit to operate in the second circulation route.

2. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the first condition through a circulation route starting from the storing chamber, passing through the dissolving unit and the ultrafine bubble generating unit, and returning to the storing chamber, in a case of causing the dissolving unit to operate and causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit not to operate in the circulation route, and
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the second condition through the circulation route in a case of causing the dissolving unit not to operate and causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit to operate in the circulation route.

3. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid supplying unit that supplies a liquid to the storing chamber; and
a discharging unit that discharges the liquid from the storing chamber.

4. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first condition and the second condition each define a state being at least one selected from the group consisting of a flow rate, pressure, and temperature of a liquid.

5. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first condition defines a higher flow rate than a flow rate in the second condition.

6. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first condition defines a higher pressure than a pressure in the second condition.

7. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second condition defines a lower temperature than a temperature in the first condition.

8. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the first condition and under the second condition by controlling driving of pumps disposed in the circulation routes.

9. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrafine bubble generating unit generates the ultrafine bubbles by causing a heating element to generate heat and cause film boiling at an interface between a liquid and the heating element.

10. An ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus comprising:
a dissolving unit that dissolves a predetermined gas into a liquid;
an ultrafine bubble generating unit that generates ultrafine bubbles in the liquid in which the predetermined gas is dissolved;
a circulation controlling unit that controls circulation of a liquid through liquid circulation routes including the dissolving unit and the ultrafine bubble generating unit;
a first storing chamber and a second storing chamber for storing a liquid; and
a unit that supplies a liquid from the first storing chamber to the second storing chamber,
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a first condition that defines a state of the liquid to be circulated, through a circulation route passing through the dissolving unit in a case of causing the dissolving unit to operate in the circulation route,
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a second condition different from the first condition through a circulation route passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit in a case of causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit to operate in the circulation route,
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the first condition through a first circulation route starting from the first storing chamber, passing through the dissolving unit, and returning to the first storing chamber without passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit, in a case of causing the dissolving unit to operate in the first circulation route, and
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the second condition through a second circulation route starting from the second storing chamber, passing through the ultrafine bubble generating unit, and returning to the second storing chamber without passing through the dissolving unit, in a case of causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit to operate in the second circulation route.

11. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a unit that supplies a liquid in which the ultrafine bubbles are generated by the ultrafine bubble generating unit from the second storing chamber to the first storing chamber.

12. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a circulation condition different from the first condition and the second condition through a third circulation route including a route for supplying a liquid from the first storing chamber to the second storing chamber and a route for supplying a liquid from the second storing chamber to the first storing chamber.

13. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the circulation controlling unit simultaneously performs the circulation through the first circulation route and the circulation through the second circulation route.

14. The ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under the first condition through the first circulation route in a case of causing the ultrafine bubble generating unit not to operate, and
wherein the circulation controlling unit circulates a liquid under a third condition different from the first condition th

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Akira
• Kubota Masahiko
• Yamada Akitoshi
• Imanaka Yoshiyuki
• Yanai Yumi
• Ishinaga Hiroyuki
• Ozaki Teruo
• Kashino Toshio
• Nakazawa Ikuo
• Mihara Hiroaki
• Shimoyama Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B01F23/703 Primary

  Degassing or de-aerating materials; Replacing one gas within the materials by another gas · CPC title

• C02F1/68 Primary

  by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water (medicinal water A61K) · CPC title

• B01F25/53 Primary

  in which the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle through a recirculation tube, into which an additional component is introduced · CPC title

• B01F23/2319

  Methods of introducing gases into liquid media · CPC title

• B01F23/235

  for making foam · CPC title