CN107949750B

CN107949750B - Dehumidifying and humidifying device

Info

Publication number: CN107949750B
Application number: CN201680012958.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 高本大己; 宫崎治仁
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 2015-09-18
Filing date: 2016-02-17
Publication date: 2020-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2036-02-17
Also published as: PH12017501448B1; CN107949750A; JP6563287B2; JP2017058107A; PH12017501448A1; WO2017047120A1; SG11201706419WA

Abstract

The dehumidification and humidification device (A) of the present invention comprises: a casing (1) including a 1 st suction port (16), a 2 nd suction port (17), and a blow-out port (15); a 1 st air passage (R1) extending from the 1 st suction port (16) to the discharge port (15); a 2 nd air passage (R2) extending from the 2 nd suction port (17) to the discharge port (15); a humidification unit (5) disposed in one of the 1 st air passage (R1) and the 2 nd air passage (R2); a dehumidifying unit (4) disposed in the other air passage; and a blower (2) for generating an air flow in each of the 1 st air passage (R1) and the 2 nd air passage (R2).

Description

Dehumidifying and humidifying device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a dehumidification and humidification apparatus having both a dehumidification function and a humidification function.

Background

A conventional dehumidification and humidification apparatus is disclosed in patent document 1. The dehumidification and humidification apparatus has a dehumidification function, a humidification function, and an air purification function, and performs any one of an air purification operation for performing only air purification, a dehumidification operation for performing air purification and dehumidification simultaneously, and a humidification operation for performing air purification and humidification simultaneously. The dehumidification and humidification device comprises a main body, an air purification filter unit arranged on the main body, a dehumidification unit, a humidification unit and a fan.

The dehumidification and humidification apparatus is provided with a flow path that connects a suction port provided on a side surface of the main body and a discharge port provided on an upper surface, and generates an airflow from the suction port to the discharge port by the fan. In the flow path, an air cleaning filter unit, a dehumidifying unit, a humidifying unit, and a fan are arranged in this order from the upstream. In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus configured in this manner, since the fan is driven and the airflow generated in the flow path passes through the air cleaning filter unit, the dehumidification unit, and the humidification unit, the air cleaning operation, the dehumidification operation, and the humidification operation can be selectively performed as described above by switching the operation of the dehumidification unit and the operation of the humidification unit. Therefore, the air purifier, the dehumidifier and the humidifier are integrated into one unit, so that the convenience of a user can be improved.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5626171

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The conventional dehumidification and humidification apparatus is configured such that a common airflow passes through the dehumidification unit and the humidification unit. Further, the efficiency of the dehumidification unit and the humidification unit varies depending on the flow velocity of the air flow passing through the dehumidification unit and the humidification unit, and the flow rates of the air flows having the best efficiency are different from each other. In the dehumidification operation and the humidification operation, since the dehumidification unit and the humidification unit are driven at flow rates that are optimal in efficiency, respectively, the flow rate of the airflow blown out from the air outlet may be small, and there is a concern that the dehumidified air or the humidified air may not spread over the entire space.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidification and humidification apparatus that can efficiently perform dehumidification and humidification of a space by using air volumes suitable for respective operations.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a dehumidification and humidification apparatus comprising: a housing including a 1 st suction port, a 2 nd suction port, and a blow-out port; a 1 st air passage extending from the 1 st suction port to the discharge port; a 2 nd air passage extending from the 2 nd suction port to the discharge port; a humidifying unit disposed inside one of the 1 st air path and the 2 nd air path; the dehumidification unit is arranged on the other air path; and a blower disposed inside the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage to generate an air flow inside each of the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage.

According to this configuration, the air passage in which the dehumidifying unit is installed and the air passage in which the humidifying unit is installed are arranged in parallel. In addition, the air passage in which the dehumidifying unit is installed can be set to a flow rate at which the dehumidifying efficiency of the dehumidifying unit is increased, and the air passage in which the humidifying unit is installed can be set to a flow rate at which the humidifying efficiency of the humidifying unit is increased. Therefore, when dehumidification or humidification is respectively performed, the efficiency of dehumidification or humidification can be improved.

In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus having this configuration, the airflow from the air passage in which the humidification unit is installed is increased and blown out from the air outlet while the humidification unit is stopped during dehumidification, and the airflow from the air passage in which the dehumidification unit is installed is increased and blown out from the air outlet while the dehumidification unit is stopped during humidification. This makes it possible to increase the flow rate of the airflow blown out from the air outlet more than when the dehumidifying device or the humidifying device is operated independently. Therefore, dehumidification or humidification can be performed in a larger space than in the case of the individual operations.

In the above configuration, the blower may include a sirocco fan and a fan case; the fan case includes: a 1 st inlet port for drawing the airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage into the fan case, and a 2 nd inlet port provided on the opposite side of the 1 st inlet port with the sirocco fan interposed therebetween for drawing the airflow flowing through the 2 nd air passage into the fan case; the 2 nd air passage is formed so as to bypass the fan case.

In the above configuration, the dehumidifying unit may be provided close to one of the 1 st air inlet and the 2 nd air inlet.

In the above configuration, the humidification means may be provided in proximity to the other of the 1 st air inlet and the 2 nd air inlet.

In the above configuration, the dehumidifying unit may be provided in the 1 st air passage, and the humidifying unit may be provided in the 2 nd air passage; and comprises the following steps: a 3 rd air passage that bypasses the humidification unit from the 2 nd suction port and reaches the 2 nd suction port; and a 1 st damper that adjusts a flow rate of the airflow flowing through the 2 nd duct or the 3 rd duct.

In the above configuration, a bypass duct for allowing an air flow from the 1 st duct to the 2 nd duct may be provided; and includes a 2 nd damper disposed upstream of the 1 st damper and opening and closing the bypass air passage; the 2 nd damper is opened to allow the air flow to the bypass air passage when the 1 st damper generates the air flow in the 2 nd air passage.

In the above configuration, a partition member for partitioning the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage may be provided inside the casing.

In the above configuration, a partition wall may be provided in the fan case to separate the 1 st air intake port side and the 2 nd air intake port side.

In the above configuration, the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port may be disposed on the same surface of the casing, and an air cleaning filter may cover the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dehumidification and humidification apparatus that can efficiently perform dehumidification and humidification of a space using air volumes suitable for respective operations.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the humidifying and dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1 with a front cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1 with a rear cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the humidifying and dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view showing an air passage of the humidifying/dehumidifying device of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a state where the 1 st damper is opened in another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the condition of the 1 st damper of the humidifying and dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view showing the airflow when the 1 st damper is opened.

Fig. 10 is a view showing the airflow when the 1 st damper is closed.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention, fig. 2 is a front view of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1 with a front cover removed, fig. 3 is a rear view of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1 with a rear cover removed, and fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 1. In the following description, the state shown in fig. 1 is the use state of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, and the left side is the front side, i.e., the front side, and the right side is the back side, i.e., the rear side.

The dehumidifier a has an air cleaning function of sucking ambient air and removing foreign matter such as dust contained in the air, a dehumidifying function of removing moisture contained in the air, and a humidifying function of increasing the humidity of the air. The dehumidification and humidification device a includes a casing 1, a blower 2, an air purification unit 3, a dehumidification unit 4, and a humidification unit 5.

The casing 1 is an external decorative member of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, and includes a casing 11, a front cover 12, a rear cover 13, louvers (louvers) 14, a blowout port 15, a 1 st suction port 16, a 2 nd suction port 17, and a partition member 18. The case 11 is a box-shaped member having a space therein, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape when viewed from the front. The case 11 is formed by using, for example, a metal plate, but is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1, the housing 11 is used in a vertically upright state, and the surfaces facing opposite sides are the front and the back. The front and rear surfaces have openings, and a front cover 12 is detachably attached to the front surface and a rear cover 13 is attached to the rear surface. The front cover 12 and the rear cover 13 are protective members for preventing the hands of the user from accidentally entering the device inside the casing 1, and also function as reinforcing members when attached to the case 11. Further, by removing the front cover 12 or the rear cover 13, the internal devices such as the blower 2, the air cleaning unit 3, the dehumidifying unit 4, and the humidifying unit 5 can be operated. Here, the "operation" includes, but is not limited to, repair, maintenance, inspection, and the like of internal equipment.

The humidifying/dehumidifying device a removes foreign substances from the air and blows out the humidified or dehumidified air from the air outlet 15, and the air is sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17. The air outlet 15 opens on the upper surface when the humidifying/dehumidifying device a is set in the use state. The louver 14 is provided in the air outlet 15. The louver 14 is a fin (fin) for adjusting the flow direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 15, that is, the direction of the airflow, and is also used as a door capable of closing the air outlet 15. That is, in the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, when not operating, the louver 14 is closed and opened as the operation starts. The louver 14 may be opened and closed automatically by the operation of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, or may be opened and closed manually. Further, after the opening is automatically performed to a predetermined angle, the angle may be manually adjusted to a desired angle.

As shown in fig. 4, an opening 111 in which the air cleaning unit 3 is disposed is provided in the rear surface of the housing 11. The 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 are formed in the opening 111. The 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 are arranged in this order from the top. The 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 are covered with an air cleaning filter 31 described later, and air having passed through the air cleaning filter 31 is sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17. The 1 st suction port 16 is an inlet for air of a 1 st air passage R1 described later, and the 2 nd suction port 17 is an inlet for air of a 2 nd air passage R2 described later.

The partition member 18 is a partition for separating the 1 st air passage R1 from the 2 nd air passage R2. An upper partition member 181 and a lower partition member 182 are provided in the case 11. When the casing 11 is viewed from the rear side, the portion overlapping the space between the upper partition member 181 and the lower partition member 182 that are open is the 1 st suction port 16, and the other portion, i.e., the portion overlapping the upper portion of the upper partition member 181 or the lower portion of the lower partition member 182, is the 2 nd suction port 17.

The blower 2 includes a sirocco fan 21, a fan case 22, a fan motor 23, and an outlet 24. Here, the sirocco fan 21 is a fan that discharges air in a centrifugal direction, and generates an air flow toward the outer periphery while drawing air from the center portion by rotating. The sirocco fan 21 is a so-called two-blade fan having a structure in which the blades are combined in parallel in the axial direction and configured to be able to suck air from the center of both ends in the axial direction. In fig. 4, the blower 2 is inclined so that the upper portion is closer to the rear side, but may be provided so as not to be inclined.

Sirocco fan 21 is rotatably disposed inside fan case 22. The fan case 22 is connected to the discharge port 24 and configured to blow out an airflow generated in the circumferential direction of the sirocco fan 21 toward the discharge port 24. The fan case 22 has two surfaces provided so as to face the respective axial ends of the sirocco fan 21, and a 1 st air inlet 25 and a 2 nd air inlet 26 for sucking air are provided on the two surfaces, respectively. As shown in fig. 4, fan case 22 is fixed inside case 11 such that 1 st air inlet 25 faces the rear side and 2 nd air inlet 26 faces the front side.

The sirocco fan 21 is attached to an output shaft of a fan motor 23. The fan motor 23 is fixed to the fan case 22, and is rotated by the fan motor 23 to rotate the sirocco fan 21. The discharge port 24 is an opening through which an air flow generated by the rotation of the sirocco fan 21 is discharged. The discharge port 24 has a cylindrical shape communicating with the inside of the fan case 22 where the sirocco fan 21 is disposed. The discharge port 24 communicates with the discharge port 15. That is, the airflow discharged from the discharge port 24 is blown out to the outside of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus a through the discharge port 15. Further, by forming the air outlet 15 to have a certain length in the flow direction of the airflow, the blown airflow can be rectified, and the airflow can be distributed over a distance. Although not shown, an ion generator may be disposed in the air outlet 15, and ions may be included in the airflow as necessary.

The air cleaning unit 3 includes an air cleaning filter 31 and a mesh 32. The air cleaning unit 3 is disposed in an opening 111 provided in the rear surface of the housing 11. The mesh 32 is a mesh-like member for preventing entry of hands, tools, and the like into the inside of the opening 111, and is used as a holder for holding the air cleaning filter 31 so as not to be displaced. The air cleaning filter 31 is a filter for capturing foreign matters such as dust and angstrom from the air passing therethrough. The air cleaning filter 31 and the mesh 32 are detachably attached to the opening 111.

The air cleaning filter 31 may be a nonwoven fabric filter, but is not limited thereto. In the air cleaning filter 31, the greater the amount of air passing therethrough, i.e., the higher the flow rate of the air flow, the higher the foreign matter trapping efficiency. Further, if the amount of foreign matter trapped by the air cleaning filter 31 is increased, the air is less likely to pass through. Therefore, the rear cover 13 can be detached only. The air cleaning filter 31 may be disposable or may be cleaned and reused. The 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 may be covered with one air cleaning filter 31 or may be covered by being divided.

The dehumidification unit 4 includes an evaporator 41, a condenser 42, a dehumidification disk 43, and a dehumidification tank 44. The dehumidifying unit 4 cools the passing air and condenses moisture contained in the air, thereby removing the moisture contained in the air, that is, dehumidifying the air. The dehumidification unit 4 includes a refrigeration cycle device that circulates a refrigerant and cools air by a phase change of the refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor, an expander, and the like, which are not shown, in addition to the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42.

The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are heat exchangers, and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, heat exchangers using fins. The dehumidifying unit 4 is provided on the front side of the blower 2 of the casing 11 and is disposed close to the 2 nd air inlet 26. When the air is sucked into the fan case 22 from the 2 nd air inlet 26 by driving the blower 2, an air flow flowing through the gaps between the fins of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 is generated.

The evaporator 41 cools the air passing through, where the evaporator 41 primarily exposes the fins or tubes, which reduces the humidity in the air. The condenser 42 warms the air passing therethrough. In the dehumidifying unit 4, the evaporator 41 is disposed on the upstream side of the airflow, and the air is cooled and dehumidified by dew condensation. The air cooled in the evaporator 41 is heated in the condenser 42 by heat exchange with a high-temperature refrigerant, and is raised to the same or substantially the same temperature as when the air flows into the evaporator 41. According to the above, in the dehumidification unit 4, the evaporator 41 is disposed upstream of the condenser 42 of the air flow.

The dehumidifying tray 43 is a receptacle disposed at a lower portion of the evaporator 41 and receives dew condensation water condensed on the surface of the evaporator 41, so-called drain water. The water (drain water) received by the dehumidifying disk 43 is sent to the dehumidifying tank 44 through a pipe (not shown). The dehumidification tank 44 is a container that is slidably provided in the case 11. The dehumidification tank 44 can detect the amount of accumulated drain, for example, the water level. In the dehumidification/humidification apparatus a, if a certain amount of drain water is accumulated in the dehumidification tank 44, a warning is issued, and at least the dehumidification unit 4 of the dehumidification/humidification apparatus a is stopped. The user removes the wet tank 44 in response to the warning to discharge the accumulated drain, thereby allowing reuse. Further, since the air cleaning is possible, even if the dehumidification tank 44 is removed, the fan 21 can be continuously operated in the same manner as the air cleaning operation.

In the present embodiment, dehumidification is performed using a refrigeration cycle, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a dehumidification unit using a material that adsorbs water such as a desiccant may be used.

The humidifying unit 5 includes a humidifying rotor 51, a drive motor 52, a humidifying disc 53, a humidifying member 54, and a humidifying tank 55. As shown in fig. 3 and the like, the humidification rotor 51 includes a cylindrical portion 511 provided in an outer peripheral portion thereof, and a support portion 512 supporting an inner side of the cylindrical portion 511, and is rotatably supported by the case 11. The humidifying member 54 is disposed in the cylindrical portion 511, and the humidifying member 54 can contain water, that is, can retain water. The cylindrical portion 511 and the supporting portion 512 function as a holding member for holding the humidifying member 54.

The humidifying rotor 51 is provided rotatably, and the humidifying rotor 51 is rotated by transmitting the axial force output from the drive motor 52 via a power transmission mechanism, not shown. The humidifying rotor 51 and the humidifying disc 53 are disposed such that the lower portion of the humidifying rotor 51 passes through the inside of the humidifying disc 53. A water bucket capable of scooping up water is provided in the cylindrical portion 511 of the humidification rotor 51, and when the humidification rotor 51 rotates, the water stored in the humidification disk 53 is scooped up by the water bucket, and flows from above to the humidification member 54. Thereby, water is supplied to the humidifying unit 54. The humidifying member 54 includes a member having an infinite number of minute gaps such as a nonwoven fabric, and distributes water as a whole by utilizing capillary action. The humidifying tray 53 and the humidifying tank 55 are connected by a pipe, and water is added from the humidifying tank 55 so that the humidifying tray 53 reaches a water amount equal to or more than a certain amount.

The humidifying rotor 51 may be rotated, and the plurality of humidifying members 54 may be independently held. The supply of water from the water tub can be stopped by stopping the rotation of the humidifying rotor 51, and thus the humidifying member 54 can be easily dried. That is, when the humidification function is switched to the air purification function or the dehumidification function, the time for the air having high humidity to flow can be shortened. The function after switching is not limited to the air cleaning function or the dehumidifying function.

The humidification unit 5 is provided on the rear surface side of the blower 2 in the casing 11, and is disposed close to the 1 st air inlet 25. That is, the end of the humidification rotor 51 of the humidification unit 5 in the rotation axis direction is disposed so as to face the 1 st inlet 25. When the air is sucked into the fan case 22 from the 1 st air inlet 25 by driving the blower 2, an airflow flowing in the axial direction is generated inside the cylindrical portion 511 of the humidification rotor 51. The humidifying member 54 is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 511, and when the humidifying member 54 holds water, that is, when it is wet, the humidifying member 54 supplies water, that is, air flowing in a humidified manner, to the airflow. The position of the humidification unit 5 is adjusted so that the airflow flowing through the humidification rotor 51 passes through the humidification water retaining member 54 during humidification operation.

In the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, the humidifying unit 5 rotates the humidifying rotor 51 to scoop water out of the water tub and allows the scooped water to flow from above to the humidifying member 54, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the humidifying material 54 may be in contact with the water stored in the humidifying disc 53 and distributed by capillary action. The humidifying disc 53 and/or the humidifying tank 55 may have a function of suppressing deterioration of accumulated water, such as a sterilizing function, for example.

Next, an air passage, which is a path through which the supply air flows, of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a of the present invention will be described. Fig. 5 is a view showing an air passage of the humidifying/dehumidifying device of the present invention. In fig. 5, the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage are indicated by arrows.

As shown in fig. 5, in the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, a 1 st air passage R1 is formed through which the air having passed through the air cleaning filter 31 passes from the 1 st suction port 16 to the blow-out port 15 via the humidifying unit 5, the 1 st suction port 25, the fan case 22, and the discharge port 24. The 1 st air passage R1 includes a path through which air sucked in from the 1 st suction port 16 directly flows in, passes through the humidification unit 5, and flows in from the 1 st suction port 25 to the fan case 22.

Furthermore, a 2 nd air passage R2 is formed in which the air having passed through air cleaning filter 31 bypasses blower 2 from 2 nd intake port 17 and reaches blow-out port 15 via

dehumidifying unit

4, 2 nd intake port 26, fan case 22, and discharge port 24. The 2 nd air passage R2 includes an upper air passage R21, and the upper air passage R21 allows the air flowing in from the upper 2 nd air inlet 17 to flow downward along the front cover 12 through the upper portion of the upper partition member 181, and to flow in from the 2 nd air inlet 26 to the fan case 22 through the dehumidifying unit 4. The 2 nd air passage R2 includes a lower air passage R22, and the lower air passage R22 allows the air flowing in from the 2 nd suction port 17 to pass through the lower portion of the lower partition member 182, flow upward along the front cover 12, and flow from the 2 nd suction port 26 to the fan case 22 through the dehumidifying unit 4.

In the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, regardless of the operation of the dehumidifying unit 4 and the humidifying unit 5, the airflow is generated in the 1 st air passage R1 and the 2 nd air passage R2(R21 and R22) by the rotational driving of the sirocco fan 21. The 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 of the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22), which are suction ports of the 1 st air passage R1, are both covered with the air cleaning filter 31, and the air flow passing through the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 passes through the air cleaning filter 31.

The dehumidification and humidification device a is configured to be able to selectively operate the dehumidification unit 4 or the humidification unit 5. Namely, the following three operations are switched: the operation of both the dehumidifying unit 4 and the humidifying unit 5 is stopped, and only the dehumidifying unit 4 is operated or only the humidifying unit 5 is operated. Three operations will be described below.

If both the dehumidification unit 4 and the humidification unit 5 are stopped, the air cleaning operation for removing only foreign matters is performed by the air cleaning filter 31 of the air cleaning unit 3. That is, although the airflow generated in the 1 st air passage R1 passes through the humidification unit 5, the humidification unit 5 is stopped, and therefore the passing air is not humidified. Further, although the airflow generated in the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22) passes through the dehumidifying unit 4, the dehumidifying unit 4 is stopped, and therefore the passing air is not dehumidified. Therefore, the air sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 and blown out from the blow-out port 15 does not undergo dehumidification or humidification, although dust and the like are collected.

When only the dehumidifying unit 4 is operated, the airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage R1 passes through the non-operating humidifying unit 5, and is therefore not humidified. The airflow flowing through the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22) passes through the dehumidifying unit 4 that is operating, and is dehumidified. That is, during the dehumidification operation in which the dehumidification unit 4 is operated, the air purification filter 31 collects foreign matter from the airflow (air) and dehumidifies the airflow flowing through the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22).

When only the humidification unit 5 is operated, the airflow flowing through the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22) passes through the non-operated dehumidification unit 4, and is therefore not dehumidified. The airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage R1 passes through the humidification unit 5 that is operating, and is thus humidified. That is, during the humidification operation in which the humidification unit 5 is operated, the air flow flowing in the 1 st air passage R1 is humidified while foreign matter is collected from the passing air by the air cleaning filter 31.

The air cleaning operation, the dehumidifying operation, and the humidifying operation are performed as described above. Next, the 1 st air passage R1 and the 2 nd air passage R2 will be described. The air cleaning unit 3, the dehumidifying unit 4, and the humidifying unit 5 perform different operations. The efficiency of each action varies depending on the flow rate of the airflow. For example, in the air cleaning unit 3, the greater the flow rate of the air flow, the higher the efficiency of trapping foreign matter. On the other hand, in the dehumidifying unit 4, when the air flow passes through the evaporator 41, the flowing air is cooled to generate dew condensation, thereby performing dehumidification. Therefore, the air flow is preferably in contact with the evaporator 41 while being cooled to a temperature at which dew condensation occurs. Conversely, if the contact is too long, the efficiency is deteriorated because the air flow after the condensation is finished keeps contacting the evaporator 41. That is, the dehumidification unit 4 has a flow velocity or flow rate at which dehumidification is most efficient. Similarly, since the humidifying unit 5 causes moisture to adhere to the airflow when passing through the humidifying member 54 that is humidified, there is a flow velocity or flow rate at which the efficiency of humidification is highest.

In the humidifier a, since the air flows are generated in the 1 st air passage R1 and the 2 nd air passage R2 regardless of the operation, the following relationship holds between the flow rate of the air passing through the air cleaning unit 3, the flow rate of the air flowing in the 1 st air passage R1, and the flow rate of the air flowing in the 2 nd air passage R2.

(flow rate of air passing through air cleaning unit 3) (flow rate of air flowing in 1 st duct R1) + (flow rate of air flowing in 2 nd duct R2)

In the case of the humidification operation, the sirocco fan 21 is driven so that the efficiency of humidification by the humidification unit 5 is the highest with respect to the flow rate of the air flow flowing in the 1 st air passage R1. At this time, since the airflow is also generated in the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22), the flow rate of the airflow flowing through the air cleaning unit 3 is larger than the flow rate of the airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage R1 according to the above expression. That is, the air flow can be made to flow through the humidification cells 5 at the flow rate with the highest humidification efficiency during the humidification operation, and the air flow with a flow rate larger than the flow rate with the highest humidification efficiency can be made to flow through the air purification cells 3. Similarly, the air flow can be made to flow through the dehumidifying unit 4 at the flow rate with the highest efficiency of dehumidification during the dehumidifying operation, and the air flow with a flow rate larger than the flow rate with the highest efficiency during the dehumidifying operation can be made to flow through the air cleaning unit 3.

This can maximize the efficiency of dehumidification during the dehumidification operation or the efficiency of humidification during the humidification operation, and can improve the efficiency of the air purification unit 3 in capturing foreign matter. In the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, the air sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17 is blown out from the blow-out port 15 through the 1 st air passage R1 and the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22). Therefore, the flow rate of the air flow discharged to the outside in the case of the dehumidifying operation or the humidifying operation by the dehumidifying and humidifying device a is larger than that in the case of using the conventional dehumidifier or humidifier alone. Therefore, the dehumidified or humidified airflow can be distributed over a longer distance.

Further, the blower 2, the dehumidification unit 4, the humidification unit 5, the 1 st air passage R1, and the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22) may be formed such that when the flow rate at which the efficiency of humidifying the air flow by the humidification unit 5 is maximum flows in the 1 st air passage R1, the flow rate at which the efficiency of dehumidifying the air flow by the dehumidification unit 4 is maximum reaches the 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22). Accordingly, the efficiency of dehumidification and humidification can be maximized and the efficiency of air purification can be improved by fixedly rotating the sirocco fan 21 of the blower 2. Further, since dehumidification or humidification is not performed during the air cleaning operation, the sirocco fan 22 can be rotated at a higher speed.

In the present embodiment, the humidifying unit 5 is disposed in the 1 st air passage R1, i.e., on the 1 st inlet 25 side of the blower 2, and the dehumidifying unit 4 is disposed in the 2 nd air passage R2, i.e., on the 2 nd inlet 26 side of the blower 2 in the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, but the invention is not limited thereto. The dehumidifying unit 4 may be disposed apart from the 2 nd inlet 26, and the humidifying unit 5 may be disposed apart from the 1 st inlet 25. The dehumidification unit 4 may be disposed in the 1 st air passage R1, and the humidification unit 5 may be disposed in the 2 nd air passage R2.

In the present embodiment, the 2 nd air passage R2 of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a includes the upper air passage R21 and the lower air passage R22 bypassing the fan case 22 of the blower 2, but is not limited thereto. For example, only one of the upper air passage R21 and the lower air passage R22 may be provided. As in the 2 nd air passage R2 of the humidifying and dehumidifying device a of the present embodiment, the provision of the upper air passage R21 and the lower air passage R22 enables the air to flow without deviation over a wide range of the evaporator 41, and therefore, the dehumidification efficiency can be improved.

The 2 nd flow path R2 may be configured to go around the fan 2 vertically, or may be configured to go around to the left and right, in other words, to go around the fan 2 laterally, instead of going around vertically. Furthermore, the fan 2 can be bypassed up and down, left and right. The flow rate of the air flow at which the dehumidification unit 4 or the humidification unit 5 provided in the 2 nd air passage R2 can operate efficiently can be made to flow, and an air passage bypassing the blower 2 can be widely used.

(embodiment 2)

Another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus of the present invention. The humidifying/dehumidifying device B shown in fig. 6 has the same configuration as the humidifying/dehumidifying device a except that the air outlet 15B and the air blower 2B are different. Therefore, substantially the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the same portions is omitted.

As shown in fig. 6, a separator 150 is provided in the air outlet 15 b. The outlet 15b is partitioned by a partition 150 into a 1 st blowout part 151 constituting a part of the 1 st air passage R1 and a 2 nd blowout part 152 constituting a part of the 2 nd air passage R2.

A partition 27 is provided inside the fan case 22b of the blower 2 b. The partition 27 is provided so as to form a surface that coincides with the boundary between the 1 st air passage R1 side and the 2 nd air passage R2 side of the sirocco fan 21. Moreover, partition 27 does not interfere with driving of sirocco fan 21 by coming into contact with sirocco fan 21.

As described above, by providing partition 150 at outlet 15b and providing partition 27 inside fan case 22b, the airflows flowing in 1 st air passage R1 and 2 nd air passage R2(R21, R22) are not easily mixed inside humidifying/dehumidifying device a. Further, by appropriately adjusting the positions of the partition 150 and the partition 27, the flow rate of the air flow flowing in the 1 st air passage R1 and the 2 nd air passage R2 can be accurately adjusted to the optimum flow rate for humidification and dehumidification.

(embodiment 3)

Another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a state where the 1 st damper is opened in another example of the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention, and fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a state where the 1 st damper is closed in the humidifying/dehumidifying apparatus shown in fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view showing the airflow when the 1 st damper is opened, and fig. 10 is a view showing the airflow when the 1 st damper is closed.

In the humidifying/dehumidifying device C shown in fig. 7 and 8, the humidifying unit 5C is different from the humidifying unit 5 of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, and includes a 1 st damper 61 and a 2 nd damper 62 for adjusting the flow direction or flow rate of the air flow. In the example shown in fig. 7 and 8, the casing 1 including the case 11, the front cover 12, the rear cover 13, and the like has substantially the same configuration as the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, although the shape is different from that of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a for convenience. In the following description of the humidifying/dehumidifying device C, substantially the same parts as those of the humidifying/dehumidifying device a are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, the blower 2 is disposed such that the rotation axis of the sirocco fan 21 is horizontal, but has substantially the same configuration as the sirocco fan 21 of the dehumidification and humidification apparatus a. That is, the 1 st air inlet 25 is provided on the rear surface side, and the 2 nd air inlet 26 is provided on the front surface side. In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus C, the dehumidification unit 4 is provided adjacent to the 1 st air inlet 25.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a partition member 18 is disposed below the dehumidifying unit 4. In the humidifying/dehumidifying device C, the portion above the partition member 18 as viewed from the rear side is the 1 st suction port 16, and the portion below the partition member 18 is the 2 nd suction port 17. The dehumidification unit 4 is provided so that the air sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 enters the evaporator 41 of the dehumidification unit 4.

The humidifying unit 5c includes a humidifying member 56, a humidifying disc 57, and a cover (housing) 58. The humidifying unit 56 is a unit capable of absorbing moisture by capillary action, and is housed in the humidifying disc 57. The humidifying disc 57 is a container capable of storing water. The humidifying disc 57 is supplied with water from a humidifying tank, not shown. The humidifying member 56 is housed in the humidifying tray 57 so that the lower portion thereof is housed in water.

The humidifying member 56 and the humidifying disc 57 are housed in the cover 58 and attached to the case 11. The cover 58 is a cylindrical member formed of an airtight material, and is a member that houses the humidifying member 56 and the humidifying disc 57, and functions as a holding member that holds the humidifying member 56 so as not to be bent or folded. Such a humidifying unit 5c is used in the humidifying/dehumidifying device a, etc., and can be simpler in structure and smaller in size than the humidifying unit 5. The outer cover 58 is disposed below the fan case 22 with a space therebetween.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a space through which an air flow can pass is formed between the upper surface of the cover 58 and the lower surface of the fan case 22. In the dehumidification/humidification apparatus C, the 1 st damper 61 is provided in the space. The 1 st damper 61 includes a curved surface 611 and a rotation support portion 612. The curved surface 611 is a part of a cylinder shape having a width in the depth direction of the paper surface. The 1 st damper 61 is pivotally supported by the rotation support portion 612 and rotates around the central axis of the curved surface 611, thereby opening and closing the air passage. The 1 st damper 61 is automatically rotated in accordance with the operation of the humidifying/dehumidifying device C, and is driven by power from a power source, not shown.

A support member 63 is provided on the inner surface of the front cover 12. The support member 63 is a restricting member for preventing the damper from further rotating. As shown in fig. 7, when the 1 st damper 61 is rotated to the maximum in the clockwise direction in fig. 7, the end of the curved surface 611 contacts the support member 63 and the rotation is restricted. As shown in fig. 9, when the end of the 1 st damper 61 contacts the support member 63, the airflow passes between the fan case 22 and the cover 58 and flows into the fan case 22 through the 2 nd air inlet 26. The state of the 1 st damper 61 at this time is set to the open state. At this time, no airflow flows in the 2 nd air passage R2.

As shown in fig. 8, when the 1 st damper 61 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in fig. 8 to the maximum, the end of the curved surface 611 opposite to the end contacting the supporting member 63 contacts the fan case 22. As shown in fig. 10, when the end of the 1 st damper 61 contacts the fan case 22, the curved surface 611 blocks the space between the fan case 22 and the outer cover 58, and thus the airflow passes through the humidifying unit 5 c. The state of the 1 st damper 61 at this time is set to the closed state. At this time, the air flows in the 2 nd air passage R2.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a gap is formed between the partition member 18 and the fan case 22. The gap is configured such that a part of the airflow flowing into the 1 st air inlet 25 through the dehumidifying unit 4 can pass through the fan case 22 and the cover 58. The dehumidifying and humidifying device C is provided with a 2 nd damper 62, and the 2 nd damper 62 is a flat plate-shaped member rotatably provided on the partition member 18 and opens and closes the gap. When the 2 nd damper 62 is in the closed state, the airflow that flows into the 1 st air inlet 25 through the dehumidifying unit 4 does not flow into the fan case 22 and the housing 58 through the gap. On the other hand, when the 2 nd damper 62 is in the open state, the airflow that has flowed into the 1 st air inlet 25 through the dehumidifying unit 4 flows from the gap to the fan case 22 and the housing 58. The 2 nd damper 62 is automatically opened and closed in accordance with the operation of the humidifying/dehumidifying device C, and is driven by power from a power source, not shown. Further, the power source of the 1 st damper 61 and the 2 nd damper 62 may be shared.

The operation of the dehumidification/humidification apparatus C is the same as that of the dehumidification/humidification apparatus a, i.e., air cleaning operation, dehumidification operation, and humidification operation. First, the dehumidification operation will be described. In the dehumidifying operation, as shown in fig. 9, the 1 st damper 61 is opened and the 2 nd damper 62 is closed. When sirocco fan 21 is driven in this state, air is sucked into fan case 22 through suction port 1 25 and suction port 2, and an airflow is generated. In the dehumidification and humidification device C, air is sucked from the 1 st suction port 16 and the 2 nd suction port 17, respectively. The air taken in from the 1 st air inlet 16 flows in the 1 st air passage R1 that reaches the air outlet 15 via the dehumidifying unit 4, the 1 st air inlet 25, the fan case 22, and the discharge port 24.

On the other hand, the air sucked in from 2 nd inlet 17 passes through the space between fan case 22 and cover 58, and flows in 3 rd air passage R3, which is an air passage reaching outlet 15 via 2 nd inlet 26, fan case 22, and discharge port 24. The airflow flowing in the 3 rd flow path R3 is blown out from the air outlet 15 to the outside without passing through the humidification unit 5 c.

Next, the humidification operation will be described. As shown in fig. 10, during the humidification operation, the 1 st damper 61 is closed and the 2 nd damper is opened. By closing the 1 st damper 61, the space between the fan case 22 and the cover 58, which is a part of the 3 rd air passage R3, is blocked by the 1 st damper 61. Therefore, the air sucked in from the 2 nd suction port 17 flows in the 2 nd air passage R2 that reaches the blow-out port 15 via the humidification unit 5c, the 2 nd suction port 26, the fan case 22, and the discharge port 24. Further, since the 2 nd damper 62 is opened, a part of the air having passed through the 1 st suction port 16 flows through the bypass air passage R4, which is an air passage branched from the 1 st air passage R1 into the 2 nd air passage R2 and flows, and merges with the 2 nd air passage R2.

That is, during the humidification operation, the air having passed through the bypass flow path R4, out of the air sucked in from the 2 nd suction port 17 and the air sucked in from the 1 st suction port 16, flows through the 2 nd flow path R2, is humidified, and is blown out from the blow-out port 15 to the outside. In the humidification operation, since the dehumidification unit 4 is stopped, the air that has passed through the bypass air passage R4 and merged with the 2 nd air passage R2 is not dehumidified. Therefore, the humidity is the same or substantially the same as the air sucked from the 2 nd suction port 17, and the flow rate of the humidified air can be increased while suppressing the fluctuation of the humidity.

In addition, since the dehumidification and humidification are not performed during the air cleaning operation, the 1 st damper 61 is opened and the 2 nd damper 62 is closed to drive so that the 1 st air passage and the 3 rd air passage are formed in the same manner as during the dehumidification operation.

In the dehumidification and humidification device C, the 1 st damper 61 is opened and the 2 nd damper 62 is closed during the air cleaning operation and the dehumidification operation, and the airflow does not pass through the 2 nd air passage R2. This can suppress humidification of a part of the airflow during the air cleaning operation or the dehumidifying operation. For example, when the humidity in the room is sufficiently increased during the humidification operation and the air purification operation is switched, air that has not been humidified immediately after the switching, that is, air that has not been humidified can be blown out. The non-humidified air can be blown out without waiting for the humidifying device 56 to dry.

Further, since the air flow does not pass through the humidification unit 5c during the air cleaning operation or the dehumidifying operation, the dehumidifying member 56 does not need to be dried every time the operation is switched. Thus, immediately after switching from the air cleaning operation or the dehumidifying operation to the humidifying operation, the humidified air can be blown out without waiting for the water to spread over the dehumidifying part 56.

According to these, the responsiveness of the dehumidification/humidification device C is improved when the air cleaning operation or the dehumidification operation is switched to the humidification operation or when the humidification operation is switched to the air cleaning operation or the dehumidification operation.

In the humidifying/dehumidifying device C, the 2 nd damper 62 is opened during the humidifying operation, and the air is branched from the 1 st air passage R1 to the 2 nd air passage R2 via the bypass air passage R4. This case is the same as the case where a part of the 1 st suction port 16 is operated as the 2 nd suction port 17 in accordance with the operation. Thus, even if the opening 111 is small, an air flow having high efficiency for performing dehumidification or humidification can be made to flow through the dehumidification unit or the humidification unit. That is, the dehumidification and humidification apparatus can be downsized without lowering the dehumidification and humidification efficiency.

In the case where the size of the 2 nd suction port 17 is such that an air flow of a flow rate capable of improving humidification efficiency can be generated, the humidification operation can be performed with the 2 nd damper 62 closed. Further, in the case where the size of the 2 nd suction port 17 is such that an airflow at a flow rate that further improves the humidification efficiency of the humidification unit 5c can be generated even without the air from the bypass air passage R4, the 2 nd damper 62 may be omitted.

The opening degree of the 1 st damper 61 and the 2 nd damper 62 can also be adjusted. Accordingly, air can be caused to flow dispersedly through the 2 nd air passage R2 and the 3 rd air passage R3 during the humidification operation. This enables adjustment of the amount of air to be humidified, that is, the amount of moisture to be added to the air, thereby enabling adjustment of the humidity.

In the present embodiment, the 1 st damper 61 is configured to include the curved surface 611 and the rotation support portion 612, which are a part of the cylinder, but is not limited thereto. For example, the damper may be opened and closed by rotating the flat plate, thereby adjusting the flow rate. A damper capable of adjusting the flow rate of the air flow flowing through the humidification unit 5c can be widely used.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above. In addition, various modifications can be added to the embodiments of the present invention as long as they do not depart from the gist of the invention.

The dehumidification and humidification apparatus of the present invention described above includes: a housing including a 1 st suction port, a 2 nd suction port, and a blow-out port; a 1 st air passage extending from the 1 st suction port to the discharge port; a 2 nd air passage extending from the 2 nd suction port to the discharge port; a humidifying unit disposed inside one of the 1 st air path and the 2 nd air path; the dehumidification unit is arranged on the other air path; and a blower disposed inside the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage to generate an air flow inside each of the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage.

In the dehumidification/humidification apparatus, the blower may include a sirocco fan and a fan case; the fan case includes: a 1 st inlet port for drawing the airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage into the fan case, and a 2 nd inlet port provided on the opposite side of the 1 st inlet port with the sirocco fan interposed therebetween for drawing the airflow flowing through the 2 nd air passage into the fan case; the 2 nd air passage is formed so as to bypass the fan case.

In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus, the dehumidification unit may be provided in proximity to one of the 1 st air inlet and the 2 nd air inlet.

In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus, the humidification means may be provided in proximity to the other of the 1 st air inlet and the 2 nd air inlet.

In the dehumidification and humidification device, the dehumidification unit may be provided in the 1 st air passage, and the humidification unit may be provided in the 2 nd air passage; and comprises the following steps: a 3 rd air passage that bypasses the humidification unit from the 2 nd suction port and reaches the 2 nd suction port; and a 1 st damper that adjusts a flow rate of the airflow flowing through the 2 nd duct or the 3 rd duct.

The dehumidification and humidification apparatus may further include a bypass air passage for allowing an air flow to flow from the 1 st air passage to the 2 nd air passage; and includes a 2 nd damper disposed upstream of the 1 st damper and opening and closing the bypass air passage; the 2 nd damper is opened to allow the air flow to the bypass air passage when the 1 st damper generates the air flow in the 2 nd air passage.

In the humidifier/dehumidifier, a partition member may be provided inside the casing to partition the 1 st air passage and the 2 nd air passage.

In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus, a partition wall may be provided in the fan case so as to separate the 1 st air intake port side and the 2 nd air intake port side.

In the dehumidification and humidification apparatus, the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port may be disposed on the same surface of the casing, and an air cleaning filter may cover the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port.

Description of the symbols

A removes humidification device

1 casing

11 case body

12 front cover

13 rear cover

14 louver blade

15 air outlet

16 st suction inlet

17 nd suction inlet 2

18 partition member

181 upper partition member

182 underside partition member

2 blower

21 multiblade fan (two-blade fan)

22 Fan case

23 Fan Motor

24 spray outlet

25 st air inlet

26 nd suction inlet 2

3 air purification unit

31 air purifying filter

32 mesh screen

4 dehumidification unit

41 evaporator

42 condenser

43 dehumidifying disk

44 dehumidification tank

5 humidifying unit

51 humidifying rotor

52 drive motor

53 humidifying plate

54 humidifying component

55 humidifying tank

Claims

1. A dehumidification and humidification apparatus comprising:

a housing including a 1 st suction port, a 2 nd suction port, and a blow-out port;

a 1 st air passage extending from the 1 st suction port to the discharge port;

a 2 nd air passage extending from the 2 nd suction port to the discharge port;

a humidifying unit disposed in one of the 1 st air path and the 2 nd air path;

a dehumidification unit arranged in the other air path; and

a blower disposed inside the casing to generate an air flow in each of the 1 st and 2 nd ducts,

the blower is provided with a multi-blade fan and a fan case;

the fan case includes: a 1 st air inlet for sucking the airflow flowing through the 1 st air passage into the fan case; and a 2 nd inlet port that is provided on the opposite side of the 1 st inlet port with the sirocco fan interposed therebetween and sucks the airflow flowing in the 2 nd air passage into the fan case;

the 2 nd air passage is formed so as to bypass the fan case.

2. The dehumidification and humidification apparatus of claim 1,

the dehumidification unit is provided in the 1 st air passage, and the humidification unit is provided in the 2 nd air passage; and is

The dehumidification and humidification device comprises:

a 3 rd air passage that bypasses the humidification unit from the 2 nd suction port and reaches the 2 nd suction port; and

and a 1 st damper that adjusts a flow rate of the airflow flowing through the 2 nd duct or the 3 rd duct.

3. The device according to claim 2, comprising a bypass air path for allowing air to flow from the 1 st air path to the 2 nd air path; and is

The dehumidification and humidification device comprises a 2 nd air door which is arranged at the upstream of the 1 st air door and opens and closes the bypass air path;

and opening the 2 nd damper so that the air flows into the bypass air passage when the 1 st damper generates the air flow in the 2 nd air passage.

4. A de-humidification apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,

the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port are arranged on the same plane of the housing, and an air cleaning filter covers the 1 st suction port and the 2 nd suction port.