# US 2023/0054730 A1 · Water quality measurement device and storage method for water quality measurement device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054730 A1 - Document ID: US20230054730A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/797,322 - Filed: 2021-01-08 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-12 - Assignees: Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shunsuke KAMEI; Keisuke TASHIMA; Norimasa OSAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054730A1 ## CPC - G01N 27/27: Association of two or more measuring systems or cells, each measuring a different parameter, where the measurement results may be either used independently, the systems or cells being physically associated, or combined to produce a value for a further parameter - G01N 27/28: Electrolytic cell components - G01N 27/36: Glass electrodes - G01N 27/38: Cleaning of electrodes - G01N 33/1893: {using flow cells} - G01N 27/333: Ion-selective electrodes or membranes (glass electrodes G01N27/36) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A water quality measurement device (100) includes a flow channel (130), an ion sensor having a responsive film portion whose surface is disposed in the flow channel (130), a glass-electrode-type sensor having a glass electrode whose surface is disposed in the flow channel (130), a drive section (115), a first opening-closing section, and a second opening-closing section. When a storage condition is satisfied, the water quality measurement device (100) puts the first opening-closing section in a first closed state and puts the second opening-closing section in a second closed state, thereby producing a state in which the surface of the responsive film portion and the surface of the glass electrode are present in a common closed space (135) whereby the closed space (135) is put in a wet state without the surface of the responsive film portion being immersed in the liquid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water quality measurement device having a flow channel through which a measurement target liquid is forced to flow, including an ion sensor which has a responsive film portion and in which a surface of the responsive film portion is disposed in the flow channel, and measuring the quality of the measurement target liquid, the water quality measurement device comprising: a glass-electrode-type sensor which has a glass electrode and in which a surface of the glass electrode is disposed in the flow channel; a drive device configured to control a flow of a fluid in the flow channel; a first opening-closing device which is provided at a first position and is switched between a first open state opening the flow channel and a first closed state closing the flow channel, the first position being located on an upstream side of the ion sensor and the glass-electrode-type sensor in a direction in which the measurement target liquid is forced to flow; a second opening-closing device which is provided at a second position and is switched between a second open state opening the flow channel and a second closed state closing the flow channel, the second position being located on a downstream side of the ion sensor and the glass-electrode-type sensor in the direction in which the measurement target liquid is forced to flow; and a supply device configured to supply a liquid to the flow channel, wherein, when a storage condition is satisfied, the first opening-closing device is switched to the first closed state and the second opening-closing device is switched to the second closed state, thereby producing a state in which the surface of the responsive film portion and the surface of the glass electrode are present in a common closed space, whereby the closed space is put in a wet state without the surface of the responsive film portion being immersed in the liquid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The water quality measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device configured to control operations of the drive device, the first opening-closing device, the second opening-closing device, and the supply device, wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the drive device to perform an operation of producing the wet state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The water quality measurement device according to claim 2, wherein the first opening-closing device is a first electromagnetic valve for opening and closing the flow channel on the upstream side of the closed space, and the second opening-closing device is a second electromagnetic valve for opening and closing the flow channel on the downstream side of the closed space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The water quality measurement device according to claim 2, wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the drive device to perform an operation of draining the liquid from the closed space and an operation of feeding air into the closed space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The water quality measurement device according to claim 4, further comprising a flow-rate sensor which can detect the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the closed space, wherein the wet state is a state in which the flow rate in the closed space detected by the flow-rate sensor has become less than a predetermined value when the drive device is performing the operation of draining the liquid from the closed space and the operation of feeding air into the closed space. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The water quality measurement device according to claim 2, wherein the supply device includes a cleaning device which performs a cleaning operation of feeding cleaning water to the closed space, and wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the cleaning device to perform the cleaning operation and causes the drive device to perform the operation of producing the wet state after the cleaning operation. ### Claim 7 A storage method for a water quality measurement device having a flow channel through which a measurement target liquid is forced to flow, including an ion sensor which has a responsive film portion and in which a surface of the responsive film portion is disposed in the flow channel, and measuring the quality of the measurement target liquid, the water quality measurement device comprising: a glass-electrode-type sensor which has a glass electrode and in which a surface of the glass electrode is disposed in the flow channel; a drive device configured to control a flow of a fluid in the flow channel; a first opening-closing device which is provided at a first position and is switched between a first open state opening the flow channel and a first closed state closing the flow channel, the first position being located on an upstream side of the ion sensor and the glass-electrode-type sensor in a direction in which the measurement target liquid is forced to flow; a second opening-closing device which is provided at a second position and is switched between a second open state opening the flow channel and a second closed state closing the flow channel, the second position being located on a downstream side of the ion sensor and the glass-electrode-type sensor in the direction in which the measurement target liquid is forced to flow; and a supply device configured to supply a liquid to the flow channel, wherein, when a storage condition is satisfied, the storage method switches the first opening-closing device to the first closed state and the second opening-closing device to the second closed state, thereby producing a state in which the surface of the responsive film portion and the surface of the glass electrode are present in a common closed space, whereby the closed space is put in a wet state without the surface of the responsive film portion being immersed in the liquid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The storage method for a water quality measurement device according to claim 7, wherein the water quality measurement device includes a control device for controlling operations of the drive device, the first opening-closing device, the second opening-closing device, and the supply device, wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the drive device to perform an operation of producing the wet state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The storage method for a water quality measurement device according to claim 8, wherein the first opening-closing device is a first electromagnetic valve for opening and closing the flow channel on the upstream side of the closed space, and the second opening-closing device is a second electromagnetic valve for opening and closing the flow channel on the downstream side of the closed space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The storage method for a water quality measurement device according to claim 8, wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the drive device to perform an operation of draining the liquid from the closed space and an operation of feeding air into the closed space. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The storage method for a water quality measurement device according to claim 10, wherein the water quality measurement device includes a flow-rate sensor which can detect the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the closed space, and wherein the wet state is a state in which the flow rate in the closed space detected by the flow-rate sensor has become less than a predetermined value when the drive device is performing the operation of draining the liquid from the closed space and the operation of feeding air into the closed space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The storage method for a water quality measurement device according to claim 8, wherein the supply device includes a cleaning device which performs a cleaning operation of feeding cleaning water to the closed space, and wherein, when the storage condition is satisfied, the control device causes the cleaning device to perform the cleaning operation and causes the drive device to perform the operation of producing the wet state after the cleaning operation.