Colloidal Silver Generator Unit
Abstract
The Google Patent Colloidal Silver Generator describes the unit as follows: A 12 volt 2.1 mm DC power connector 3, on / off switch 1, printed circuit board 2, ppm indicator LED 13, Tyndall indicator LED 5, 2 mm push fit sockets 4 and 3.5 mm analog out jack 7, electrodes 9, beaker 11 and distilled water 10. The circuit board may be arranged to increase the supply voltage from 12 V to 30V. A microcontroller is arranged to supply a current to the electrodes and periodically switch the direction of the current.
Classifications
B01J13/0043 Preparation of sols containing elemental metal
GB2481968A
United Kingdom
Description
Google Patent Colloidal Silver Generator relates to a device for preparing a silver sol (colloidal silver) using electrical technology.
There are several methods of producing colloidal silver, including chemical and electrical methods.
By using the low voltage electrical method described below, colloidal silver is produced which has a controllable concentration and particle size.
It is known that colloidal silver has anti-biotic, anti-viral and fungicidal properties, and various products are available from health food stores and through the Internet.
However, the quality of these products can vary, and the cost of purchase can be, prohibitive.
Measurements of concentration of Total Dissolved Solids (measured in parts per million or ppm) are made as soon as the unit is switched on, and at frequent intervals during production.
The invention can make colloidal silver of concentration up to 10 ppm in distilled water for very low cost.
Electronic circuitry provides a switched dc voltage supply to two high purity silver electrodes, and measurements are automatically taken of concentration during the production process.
The circuitry is based on a PIC Microcontroller manufactured by Microchip, and is programmed to perform a variety of functions to ensure a high quality product.
A high brightness LED with integral optical unit provides an indication of the onset of the Tyndall effect, a phenomena which appears in a liquid when in a colloidal state.
Should the initial concentration be above 20 ppm at first switch on, the process will be terminated since the liquid used is not in a pure state and contains impurities.
For example, tap water may contain chlorides which would react with the silver to produce silver chloride. By measuring the ppm value, the invention prompts the operator to use only pure water, preferably steam distilled water at a ppm value of less than I ppm total dissolved solids.
Since even distilled water contains dissolved oxygen, silver oxide is formed during the production process. If the current through the liquid in uni-directional, silver oxide builds up on the electrodes, and impedes the production process.
To minimise this effect, the microcontroller is connected to an H-Bridge driver circuit which reverses the current flowing in the liquid in a pre-programmed manner.
This method also has the advantage of giving even wear of the electrodes.
The period of switching is controlled by firmware, and takes into account concentration, time elapsed and other factors.
The voltage produced at the electrodes is 30 volts dc, and the microcontroller monitors the current flowing through the liquid. A series resistor also acts to limit the maximum current to mA dc.
A 3.5 mm jack socket provides an analog output which may be used to display or record the concentration during the production process.
When the concentration has reached 10 ppm, the process stops, and the colloidal silver is ready to be filtered and stored in a glass container for use later.
The invention is powered by an 12V external power supply, and consumes less than lOOmA of current from the supply.
An internal NiMH rechargeable battery may be fitted as an option.
The diagrams below show the invention.
Figure 1 shows a exploded view graphic image of the invention. The outer casing is in the shape of a pyramid, with an on I off switch located at the top of the unit.
Figure 2 shows the unit in operation resting on a 400 ml Pyrex beaker. The silver wires can be seen projecting into the liquid in the beaker. A low voltage power cable can be seen at the rear, which supplies 12V dc to the invention Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the invention.
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional diagram.
Figure 5 shows a circuit diagram of the invention.
In figure 4, an on-off switch is located at the top of the unit which provides a stable location for the switch, since the unit will be placed on top of a beaker containing distilled water, and any sideways force is undesirable when operating the switch. The lower side of the unit houses two 2 mm push-fit sockets for connecting two lengths of pure silver wire, an optic with LED allows a light beam to shine down through the liquid to illustrate the appearance of the Tyndall effect, and a 3.5 mm jack socket to provide an analogue output voltage proportional to the concentration of colloidal silver in ppm. The side of the unit houses an LED for indicating the strength of the solution, and flashes a number of times proportional to the concentration in parts per million. A buzzer is mounted on the PCB to provide an audio indication of stages in the production process by sounding an audio frequency of pre-set duration and repetition frequency.
Claims (12)
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A colloidal silver generator unit comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) with electronic components, plastic housing with on / off switch, 2 mm connectors, LED indicators, analog output jack and power supply socket.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim 1 which uses a microcontroller-based circuit design.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim 1 which uses firmware to control the production process of the unit.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I which indicates to the user the concentration of colloidal silver in parts per million (ppm).
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I which indicates to the user the suitability of water used for making colloidal silver.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I which produces a maximum concentration of 10 parts per million of colloidal silver when using silver wires of specified diameter, length, separation and purity.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I with an output voltage which is proportional to concentration in ppm within the range 0 to 50 ppm.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I with a high intensity LED whose light output is directed into the water by the action of a lens system to facilitate the observation of the Tyndall effect.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I with an electronic circuit to switch the direction of current though the silver wires in order to minimise the effect of silver oxide deposits on the electrodes (silver wires).
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim 1 with an electronic circuit that increases the supply voltage from 12 volts to 30 volts DC to facilitate the production of colloidal silver without the use of multiple batteries, or non-standard power supplies.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim 1 which produces a clear solution at a concentration of 10 ppm.
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A colloidal silver generator unit according to claim I which has detachable push-fit silver electrodes.The Google Patent Colloidal Silver Generator Application was withdrawn since the Patent Office required a copy of the software coding, which the inventor was unwilling to supply.