APPARATUS FOR MINERALIZING OR REMINERALIZING FLOWING LIQUIDS

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids, in particular flowing liquids with low mineral salt content, to obtain potable water enriched with a certain desired quantity of mineral salts.

The invention relates to the sector of equipment for treating potable water such as purifiers, remineralizers and the like.

As it is known, reverse osmosis is currently the most widely used system for purifying water for consumption. In fact, said process allows elimination of polluting particles even of infinitesimal dimensions (up to one ten- thousandth of a micron, including viruses, bacteria and impurities in general).

More in general however, this process eliminates almost all the substances dissolved in the water, including mineral salts, thereby making it unsuitable for human consumption.

In fact, numerous medical studies confirm the importance of the presence of a certain quantity of given mineral salts dissolved in water used for human consumption, and warn against the consumption of demineralized water as potentially dangerous.

For this purpose, some purification plants have been provided with cartridges containing some concentrated mineral salts, so that previously treated and purified water passes through them, thereby reintegrating its content of mineral salts.

Although easily accomplished, this type of solution has numerous disadvantages, above all related to the approximation of the quantity of salts that are reintegrated and to the variability in time of this reintegrated quantity, which is linked to their consumption inside the cartridge and therefore is impossible to control.

There are also known apparatus for treating and purifying water coming from the water mains that operate with reverse osmosis, provided with a system for remineralizing treated water through the addition of a given quantity of concentrated mineral salts with a programmable dosing system that allows the quantity of mineral salts to be reintegrated to be selected. Although guaranteeing improved results with respect to reintegration using cartridges, these apparatus still have a series of limitations, linked to the dosing accuracy of the quantity of reintegrated salts and to their mixing in the flowing liquid coming from the water mains.

In fact, with these appliances it is not possible to obtain potable water with an exact quantity of mineral salts, perfectly mixed and which is always constant during use.

In this context, the object of the present invention is to propose an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids, in particular flowing liquids with a low mineral salt content, which overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks of prior art.

In particular, an object of the invention is to propose an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids, in particular flowing liquids with a low mineral salt content, which allows potable water enriched with a certain desired quantity of mineral salts, which is always perfectly dosed and mixed, to be obtained.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids which is simple to produce and also with small overall dimensions, in such a manner as to allow domestic use thereof, as well as use in public concerns, health structures and in industry, using a liquid coming from the normal water mains.

These specified objects are substantially achieved by an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids for consumption, comprising the technical characteristics set forth in one or more of the attached claims. In particular, the invention provides an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids comprising a container of concentrated mineral salts, dosing means adapted to feed a desired quantity of said concentrated mineral salts toward a mixing and homogenization unit adapted to produce a liquid enriched with mineral salts, characterized in that said mixing and homogenization unit comprises a container, inserted inside which is at least one bulkhead adapted to define at least a preceding chamber and a subsequent chamber, a passage for the liquid enriched with salts being provided between one chamber and the other, the ratio between the volume of said preceding chamber and the area of said passage being between 60 and 800 with the area of the passage measured in cm ² and the volume of the chamber measured in cm ³

A liquid passage thus configured generates a predetermined path that causes a fast flowing and turbulent trend of the liquid and of the minerals to be dissolved, mixed and homogenized correctly.

In particular, in the step in which the liquid flows from the preceding chamber into the subsequent chamber through said passage, the liquid is first subjected to a decrease in pressure (with increase in speed) and subsequently to an increase in pressure (with a decrease in speed).

This condition emulates the natural mineralization process, according to which, after being filtered in the water table, due to its very low mineral content and to the pressure exerted by the water column above, rainwater is loaded with the various types of minerals it encounters in the ground. Excellent results are achieved in particular with a ratio between volume of said preceding chamber and area of said passage between 80 and 400 and even more in particular between 100 and 200 with the area of the passage measured in cm ² and the volume of the chamber measured in cm ³ -

In particular, according to the invention said passage between a preceding chamber and a subsequent chamber is defined between at least a wall of the container and at least one of said bulkheads inserted inside said container.

Said container, preferably of regular shape, also allows the overall dimensions of the mixing unit to be limited at the same time maximizing the volume of each inner chamber.

Further characteristics and advantages shall be more apparent from the purely indicative and non-limiting description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, wherein: • Fig. 1 is a simplified side view of an apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids according to the invention;

• Fig. 2 is a view of a detail of Fig. 1 ;

• Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a mixing and homogenization unit of the apparatus according to the invention;

• Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the mixing and homogenization unit of the apparatus according to the invention;

• Fig. 5 is a top view of the mixing and homogenization unit according to the invention;

· Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids according to the invention;

• Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the system of a variant of the apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids according to the invention.

With reference to the accompanying figures, the apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids, indicated as a whole with 1 , comprises a container 2 of concentrated mineral salts connected to dosing means, indicated as a whole with 3, which allow a desired quantity of said mineral salts 5 to be fed toward a mixing and homogenization unit, indicated as a whole with 4.

In detail, said container 2 comprises one or more tanks 6 provided with an upper cover 7 on which a mixing device 8 is mounted.

Preferably, the tanks 6 are parallelepiped in shape which on the one hand allows optimization of the overall dimensions of the apparatus and simultaneously improves the efficiency of the mixer 8, creating a turbulent movement of the mineral salts 5 during the mixing step. Said mixing device 8 comprises an electric drive 9, for example an electric motor or the like, connected to a mixer 10 immersed in the mineral salts 5 adapted to guarantee a homogeneous concentration of said concentrated salts inside the container 2.

Advantageously, said container 2 is provided with a level measuring device 1 1 , preferably positioned in proximity of the bottom of the container, which detects when the quantity of salts drops below a certain minimum level and through a control system warns the user, for example with an acoustic signal, of the need to restore the correct quantity.

The dosing means 3 comprise a pumping element 12, preferably a peristaltic pump, which has the task of picking up from the container 2 the exact quantity of concentrated mineral salts required to obtain an outflowing liquid with the desired quantity of mineral salts.

In fact, if used with small quantities of liquid with low mineral salt content to be treated, this type of pump allows practically perfect control of the quantity of concentrated mineral salts dispensed by controlling the run time thereof (square wave function).

Moreover, the use of a peristaltic pump with a high discharge pressure, in any case greater than the pressure of the liquid coming from the water mains (e.g. 3-5 bar), prevents the liquid with low mineral salt content from flowing back into the container 2 of the concentrated mineral salts and allows precise and continuous feed of the concentrated salts without the risk of clogging.

The pumping element 12 is fed by a suction duct 13 connected in the lower part of the tank 6 while it discharges into a duct 14 in turn connected to a duct 15 that feeds the flowing liquid with low mineral salt content 16 toward the mixing and homogenization unit 4.

Advantageously, said delivery duct 14 of the concentrated salts flows into the feed duct 15 from the bottom upwards (Fig. 2); otherwise, for example if it were to flow from the top downwards, due to the greater specific weight of the mineral salts present in the delivery duct 14 with respect to the weight of the water, descent and dilution of part of said salts would occur in the duct 15 even when the pumping element 12 is idle.

This would cause, at each start-up after a certain idle time, initial dispensing of a liquid with a concentration of salts different from the concentration set by the user.

As already mentioned, the mixing and homogenization unit 4 comprises a container provided with at least two chambers, a preceding chamber and a subsequent chamber, in fluid connection with each other, between which a passage is provided for the liquid enriched with mineral salts.

In particular, a plurality of chambers are provided, connected to one another by a plurality of passages.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixing and homogenization unit 4 comprises a container 17 connected at the inlet with a feed duct 18, into which the delivery duct 14 of the pumping element 12 and the feed duct 15 of the liquid with low mineral salt content 16 flow, and at the outlet with an outflow duct 19.

Advantageously, according to the invention said container 17, of regular shape and in particular substantially parallelepiped in shape, contains on the inside thereof one or more bulkheads 20 defining a plurality of chambers 21 in fluid connection with one another. Preferably, these chambers are from 4 to 8 in number, more preferably 6 chambers.

With reference to Fig. 3, a preferred embodiment of the mixing and homogenization unit 4 according to the invention is illustrated.

Said mixing and homogenization unit 4 comprises a container 17 substantially parallelepiped in shape with a lower wall 171 , an upper wall

172, and lateral walls 173, 174, 175 and 176.

The wall 173 is provided with two openings 22 and 23, respectively for inflow of the liquid enriched with mineral salts to be mixed coming from the duct 18 and for outflow of the liquid enriched with mineral salts perfectly mixed and homogenized toward the duct 19.

Advantageously, said openings 22 and 23 have a smaller diameter with respect to that of the relative inflow 18 and outflow 19 pipes, in such a manner as to create a variation of pressure of the liquid passing through said openings.

The inside of the container 17 is preferably provided with a horizontal bulkhead 201 , which defines an upper area and a lower area, and preferably with four vertical bulkheads 202, 203, 204 and 205 which define six chambers 21 1 , 212, 213, 214, 215 and 216.

The chambers 21 1 , 212 and 213 are located in the upper area while the chambers 214, 215 and 216 are located in the lower area of the container. In detail, the bulkhead 201 extends in contact with all four lateral walls

173, 174, 175 and 176 of the container 17 in such a manner that there is no passage of fluid from the upper area to the lower area through the lateral edges of said bulkhead 201 and said lateral walls of the container 17.

The vertical bulkheads 202, 203, 204 and 205 instead extend in contact with the horizontal bulkhead 201 and with the walls of the container only on three edges in such a manner that between a preceding chamber and a subsequent chamber a passage is defined between at least one wall of the container or said horizontal bulkhead and an edge of said vertical bulkheads.

In the example of embodiment of Fig. 3, said vertical bulkheads extend in height in contact with the bulkhead 201 and one of the upper 172 or lower 171 walls of the container 17, while laterally they extend in contact with only one lateral wall 174 or 176 of the container 17.

In this manner, a passage 25 is created between a lateral edge of each vertical bulkhead 202 , 203, 204 and 205 and a lateral wall 174 or 176 of the container, to allow the liquid to flow from a preceding chamber to the subsequent chamber.

An opening 26 is instead produced in the horizontal bulkhead 201 which places the upper area in connection with the lower area of the container 17.

In detail, said opening 26 places the chamber 213 and the chamber 214 in fluid connection.

Said passages 25 and said opening 26 are dimensioned in such a manner that when the liquid passes therethrough it is firstly subjected to a decrease in pressure (with an increase in speed) and subsequently to an increase in pressure (with a decrease in speed).

Moreover, the alternate positioning of the passages 25 with respect to the walls of the container 17 allows the creation of a winding path of the liquid in the passage from a preceding to a subsequent chamber (Fig. 4).

In this manner, as already mentioned, the natural mineralization process is reproduced, according to which after having been filtered in the water table, due to its very low mineral content and to the pressure exerted by the water column above, rainwater is loaded with the different types of minerals it encounters in the ground.

The aforesaid effects are achieved with the ratio between the volume of a preceding chamber and the area of said passage, towards a subsequent chamber, between 60 and 800 with the area of the passage measured in cm ² and the volume of the chamber measured in cm ³

In particular, excellent results are achieved when said ratio is between 80 and 400 and even more in particular between 100 and 200, always with the area of the passage measured in cm ² and the volume of the chamber measured in cm ³

The walls of the container 17 are made of a material with high mechanical strength, preferably metal, and dimensioned in such a manner as to be able to withstand the pressure forces that are created inside the mixing unit 5.

The vertical bulkheads 202, 203, 204 and 205, and the horizontal bulkhead 201 are preferably made of silver which, as it is known, performs an important antibacterial action for the liquid travelling through or stagnant in the mixing unit.

The dimension of the container 17, and that of the chambers 21 1 , 212, 213, 214, 215 and 216 is determined in such a manner as to reduce the overall dimensions of the apparatus to a minimum, but at the same time to contain a sufficient quantity of liquid to allow completion of mixing and homogenization of the concentrated mineral salts in the liquid.

Naturally, the dimensions of the container 17, and of the concentrated salt container 2, must be proportioned according to the flow rate of liquid enriched with mineral salts to be dispensed by the apparatus.

Typically, these dimensions can be, for example, around 500 cm ³ for a flow rate of liquid enriched with mineral salts of 0.5 - 5 litres per minute. The desired quantity of concentrated mineral salts 5 is determined by means of a control device comprising at least one sensor 27 positioned on the delivery duct 19 (or optionally inside the mixing unit 4), a flow meter 28 positioned on the feed duct 15, which measures the flow rate of liquid with low mineral salt content 16, and a programmable control unit 29 connected to said sensors and to the dosing means 3.

A first solenoid valve 30 is positioned on the feed duct 15 of the liquid with low mineral salt content 16, while a second solenoid valve 31 is positioned on the dispensing duct 38 (Fig. 6).

In detail, said selection means allow said apparatus to be used to dispense a flowing liquid remineralized with a desired quantity of mineral salts (valve 30 open and valve 31 closed) or to by-pass the apparatus and dispense the liquid as it is supplied, for example, from the water mains to which said apparatus is connected (valve 30 closed and valve 31 open). Operation of the apparatus takes place as described below:

the mineral salts 5 to be added to the flowing liquid 16 are placed inside the tank 6 through the filling cap. The desired parameters of the liquid enriched with mineral salts are set in the control unit 29, which by interpreting the value of fixed residue or conductivity detected by the sensor 27 and according to the flow rate of liquid with low mineral salt content 16 measured by the flow meter 28 establishes the necessary quantity of concentrated mineral salts 5 to be added to the liquid with low mineral salt content 16.

Advantageously, the sensor 27 is positioned downstream of the mixing chamber, in such a manner as to measure the conductivity of the liquid already enriched with salts 35 so as to allow a feedback operation that allows correction of any dosing errors by the dosing means 3

To ensure that dosing of the concentrated mineral salts is as accurate as possible, when the apparatus is started up the control unit 29 operates the mixing device 8 for a few seconds to eliminate any non-homogeneous concentrations of the mineral salts 5 which are inside the tank (for example, caused by a situation of lengthy stagnation) before drawing by the pumping unit 12.

After this mixing step, the control unit 29 opens the solenoid valve 30 that feeds the liquid with low mineral salt content 16 toward the mixing unit. The necessary quantity of concentrated mineral salts 5 is quantified by the pumping unit 12, controlled by the control unit 29, which delivers it to the inflow duct 18 where it is incorporated in the liquid with low mineral salt content 16 coming from the water mains, from a reverse osmosis or deionization system through the duct 15.

Advantageously, the control system, and in particular the control unit 19, controls the pumping element so that it dispenses a constant flow rate of product (rotating at a constant number of revolutions) and dosing the exact quantity of mineral salts 5 through the run time of said pumping element (square wave function).

This method allows very precise dosing of the quantity of concentrated salts 5 even with relatively simple pumping systems, such as peristaltic pumps.

A check valve 32 positioned on the delivery duct 19 prevents the liquid with low mineral salt content coming from the water mains or from other devices from reaching the mixing unit 4 when the apparatus is used to dispense the liquid as it is supplied, for example from the water mains or from other devices, without the addition of concentrated mineral salts. The liquid enriched with mineral salts 35 therefore enters the mixing and homogenization unit 4 where the step of mixing and homogenization of the concentrated mineral salts 5 in the liquid with low mineral salt content 16 is completed.

In detail, the liquid entering through the opening 22 follows the winding path defined by the passages 25 and by the openings 26 and 23 being subjected to continuous variations in pressure which, as already explained, ensure perfect mixing of the concentrated mineral salts 5.

The liquid enriched with mineral salts 35 perfectly mixed and homogenized is then sent to the dispensing duct 38 which distributes it through external means, such as taps or the like, not indicated in the figures.

Advantageously, according to the invention two or more apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing liquids, can be combined and made to operate in series or in parallel. An example of a diagram of the system with two apparatus combined is shown in Fig. 7.

In this case, each container 2 can contain a given mixture of concentrated mineral salts which can be chosen by the user according to preferences. Each supply duct 15 of the liquid with low mineral salt content will be provided with a further solenoid valve 40 to exclude the relative apparatus according to the user's choice.

In particular, with operation in parallel, the user selects the mixture and the quantity of concentrated salts to be used; in this case, the control system will open the solenoid valve to supply the apparatus provided with the mixture to be used, while it will close the other.

Instead, with operation in series a desired quantity of salts for each mixture can be set; the control system will then open both solenoid valves 40 and will manage the activation times of the dosing means 3 to supply the desired quantity of concentrated mineral salts.

The enriched liquids coming from the two delivery ducts 19 will then flow into the dispensing duct 38 where they will mix together practically instantaneously.

The apparatus for mineralizing or remineralizing flowing liquids thus conceived is susceptible to modifications or variants all included in the scope of the inventive concept; moreover, all details can be substituted with other technically equivalent details.