Water quality meter and water quality monitoring system

• US 20010013488A1
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hideo Enoki, Katsutoshi Yamada, Koji Saito, Masao Fukunaga, Masatoshi Kanamaru, Ryo Miyake, Sadao Mori, Takao Terayama, Tamio Ishihara
• Original Assignee: Hideo Enoki, Katsutoshi Yamada, Koji Saito, Masao Fukunaga, Masatoshi Kanamaru, Ryo Miyake, Sadao Mori, Takao Terayama, Tamio Ishihara
• Inventors: Saito, Koji, Fukunaga, Masao, Miyake, Ryo, Terayama, Takao, Yamada, Katsutoshi, Ishihara, Tamio, Enoki, Hideo, Kanamaru, Masatoshi, Mori, Sadao
• Granted Patent: US 6,398,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/85
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/02 Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/29 Chlorine compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1893 using flow cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

A water quality meter is composed of a plurality of analyzing units for analyzing water samples introduced from a water distribution pipe, each analyzing unit including a reagent mixing cell and a measuring cell, and a liquid introducing unit integrated with the analyzing units, which is composed of a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding various types of liquid including the water sample into the analyzing unit are formed. Furthermore, the cells and the plurality of three-dimensional fluid flow paths formed in the single member are fabricated by a micro-fabrication technique using photo-curing resin.

Claims

1. A water quality meter sized and configured for attachment to a location on a pipe so as to draw water out of said pipe prior to its supply to an end use in a water distribution system which supplies water that is obtained by purifying raw water as drinking water to each end user via a water distribution piping network, said water quality meter comprising:

a plurality of analyzing units, each of which includes a measurement flow path in which liquid flows, for introducing a water sample into said measurement flow path from said location on said pipe, and analyzing said water sample;

a photometer which is situated at a measurement flow path in at least one of said analyzing units, for irradiating liquid flowing in said measurement flow path with light and measuring absorbency of said liquid; and

a liquid introducing unit comprising a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding a plurality of types of liquid including said water sample into said plurality of analyzing units is formed.

2. A water quality meter sized and configured for attachment to a location on a pipe so as to draw water out of said pipe prior to its supply to an end use in a water distribution system which supplies water that is obtained by purifying raw water as drinking water to each end user via a water distribution piping network, said water quality meter comprising:

a plurality of analyzing units, each of which includes a measurement flow path in which liquid flows, for introducing a water sample into said measurement flow path from said location on said pipe, and analyzing said water sample;

a pair of electrodes, which is situated in a measurement flow path in at least one of said analyzing units for measuring one of electric conductivity and pH; and

a liquid introducing unit comprising a single synthetic member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding or expelling a plurality of types of liquid including said water sample into said plurality of analyzing units is formed.