# US 11,993,528 B2 · Ion removing system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,993,528 B2
- Document ID: US11993528B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/043,441
- Filed: 2019-05-31
- Published: 2021-04-22
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-27
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ayane Takehisa; Yasunari Maeda; Tomohiro Akita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993528B2

## CPC

- C02F 9/00: Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
- C02F 1/38: by centrifugal separation
- C02F 1/4618: {for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water}
- C02F 5/02: Softening water by precipitation of the hardness
- C02F 2001/5218: {Crystallization}
- C02F 2101/10: Inorganic compounds
- C02F 2201/005: Valves
- C02F 2301/046: Recirculation with an external loop
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

An ion removing system includes an electrolysis apparatus electrolyzing hard water to generate acidic water and alkaline water; and an ion removing apparatus that includes a hard water storage part storing the alkaline water generated by the electrolysis apparatus and a fine bubble generating part generating and supplying fine bubbles to the hard water storage part and that causes the fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions in the alkaline water in the hard water storage part to remove the metal ions from the alkaline water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ion removing system comprising:
an electrolysis apparatus electrolyzing hard water to generate acidic water and alkaline water;
an ion removing apparatus that comprises a hard water storage part storing the alkaline water generated by the electrolysis apparatus and a fine bubble generating part generating and supplying fine bubbles to the hard water storage part and that causes the fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions in the alkaline water in the hard water storage part to remove the metal ions from the alkaline water;
a primary-side flow path connected to the ion removing apparatus to supply the hard water to the electrolysis apparatus;
a separating apparatus connected to the ion removing apparatus and separating crystals of a metal component deposited by crystallizing the metal ions removed from the alkaline water by the ion removing apparatus;
a secondary-side flow path connected to the separating apparatus to take out, from the separating apparatus, treated water obtained by separating the crystals; and
a return flow path connected to the separating apparatus to return a portion of the treated water containing the crystals to the primary-side flow path.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ion removing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
an acidic water storage part storing the acidic water generated by the electrolysis apparatus,
an acidic water flow path allowing the acidic water stored in the acidic water storage part to flow to the ion removing apparatus, and
an opening/closing valve opening/closing the acidic water flow path.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ion removing system according to claim 1, further comprising a pump causing the hard water flowing through the primary-side flow path to flow through the electrolysis apparatus and the ion removing apparatus to the separating apparatus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ion removing system according to claim 1, wherein a closed-system circulation flow path is made up of the primary-side flow path, the electrolysis apparatus, the ion removing apparatus, the separating apparatus, and the return flow path.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ion removing system according to claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus is a cyclone-type centrifugal separating apparatus having a tapered inner circumferential surface with a diameter decreasing downward and causing the alkaline water to spirally flow downward along the inner circumferential surface so that the crystals are separated.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ion removing system according to claim 5, wherein one end portion of the return flow path is opened on the inner circumferential surface side of the separating apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The ion removing system according to claim 5, wherein the ion removing apparatus comprises a connection flow path connected to the separating apparatus above the one end portion of the return flow path.