Patent ID: 7837870

Claim:
An ion-removing apparatus comprising: a housing including: an inlet port arranged and constructed to receive a supply of a fluid; a liquid discharge port arranged and constructed to discharge a liquid contained in the fluid; and a gas discharge port arranged and constructed to discharge a gas content contained in the fluid; a first ion-removing unit disposed within the housing, so that the fluid that has entered the housing via the inlet port is permitted to flow through the first ion-removing unit, wherein the first ion-removing unit is arranged and constructed to remove a first ion contained in the fluid; a second ion-removing unit disposed within the housing, so that the fluid that has flown though the first ion-removing unit is permitted to flow through the second ion-removing unit, wherein the second ion-removing unit is arranged and constructed to remove a second ion contained in the fluid; wherein a liquid contained in the fluid that has flown through the second ion-removing unit is discharged from the liquid discharge port; wherein a gas contained in the fluid that has flown through the second ion-removing unit is discharged from the gas discharge port; wherein the first ion-removing unit comprises a first container having an annular configuration with a first central through-hole and having at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening; and the second ion-removing unit comprises: a second container having an annular configuration with a second central through-hole and having at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening; and a tubular member extending coaxially with the second central through-hole from one end of the second container; wherein the tubular member is inserted into the first through-hole of the first container, so that the first container and the second container are assembled to each other with the first container and the second container arranged vertically on the same axis and with the at least one outlet opening of the first container communicating with the at least one inlet opening of the second container when the tubular member has been inserted into the first through-hole of the first container.