GB2328730A - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

A dehumidifier includes a compressor (1) disposed to the rear of the lower portion of the main body of the dehumidifier. An evaporator (6) and a condenser (7) are located immediately above the compressor. An air inlet (4) is provided in the rear side (B). Air drawn into the dehumidifier through the air inlet (4) by a fan (8) passes through the evaporator and the condenser, before being blown out through an outlet (9) in the top side of the main body. A drain tank (2) surrounds the compressor (1). A drain pan (11) which communicates with the drain tank is positioned below the evaporator to collect moisture. Air having passed through the evaporator is heated by passage through the condenser,

Description

DEHUMIDIFIER The present invention relates to a dehumidifier which dehumidifies the moisture in air, in particular a dehumidifier which has a simple structure and can reduce noise transmitted to a user to provide noise reduction.

An example of a conventional dehumidifier is disclosed in JP-U-468929 and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. This dehumidifier has a compressor 22 provided at a lower rear portion in a main casing 21 and an air inlet 23 formed in a rear portion of the main casing so as to confront the compressor 22 as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, a drain pan 24 is provided with ventilating holes 25.

The compressor 22, the drain pan 24, an evaporator 26, a condenser 27 and a fan 28 are arranged in this order from the lower portion within the main casing 21. Reference numeral 29 designates an air outlet, reference numeral 30 designates a drain hole which is formed in the drain pan 24, and reference numeral 31 designates a drain tank which is provided under the drain pan 24.

In the dehumidifier thus constructed, air which is sucked through the air inlet 23 by the fan 28 passes through the ventilating holes 25 in the drain pan 24, and is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 26. After that, the air is heated by the condenser 27, and is blown out through the air outlet 29. On the other hand, the moisture in the air which has been precipitated due to cooling by the evaporator 26 is collected by the drain pan 24 as dehumidified water, and drops into the drain tank 31 through the drain hole 30 so as to be stored therein.

Since the dehumidifier thus constructed has such arrangement that the evaporator 26 and the condenser 27 are provided at a diagonally upper position apart from the compressor 22, the shape of pipes for connecting these members is made complicated, creating prob;es in that the pipes contact other parts and make noise, and that the pipes are long.

Because the air inlet 23 and the air outlet 29 are diagonally provided in the main casing 21 with respect to each other, and because the compressor 22, the evaporator 26 and the condenser 27 are arranged in this order with respect to an air path, it is necessary to supply air to the evaporator 26 and the condenser 27 from lateral sides thereof. Since a member with the ventilating holes 25 is provided on the drain pan 24 as shown in Figure 5 to carry out such air supply for heat exchange, the structure is made complicated and pressure loss is made large.

It is an object of the present invention to solve these problems, and to provide a dehumidifier capable of reducing noise and having a simple structure so as to simplify the shape of a refrigerant pipe for improving assembly.

In a dehumidifier according to the present invention, a compressor is provided in a lower portion within a main body on a rear side thereof, an evaporator and a condenser are provided above the compressor within the main body, and an air inlet is formed in a rear portion of the main body, wherein air sucked through the air inlet passes through the evaporator and the condenser and is blown out through an upper portion of the main body.

A drain tank may be provided on a front side of the compressor within the main body so as to surround the front side of the compressor.

The main body may have a top side formed with an air outlet, which has an air flowing direction changing vane provided therein so as to have variable set angles. The air may be sucked through the dehumidifier by a centrifugal-type fan.

The dehumidifier according to the present invention can remarkably restrain noise transmission towards the front of the main body providing noise reduction. In addition, the shape of refrigerant pipes for connecting between the evaporator and the compressor and between the condenser and the compressor can be simplified to make assembly efficient.

If the drain tank is provided on the front side of the compressor so as to surround the front side of the compressor, noise transmission to the front of the main body can be further restrained, providing more significant noise reduction.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a graph showing results of noise level measurement; Figure 4 is a schematic view of a conventional dehumidifier; and Figure 5 is a sectional view of an essential portion of r the dehumidifier shown in Figure 4.

Now, the present invention will be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings.

In Figure 1 is shown a vertical sectional vle of an embodiment according to the present invention. In Figure 2 is shown a sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 1. Reference numeral 1 designates a compressor formed in a cylindrical shape, which is provided at a lower portion within a main body on a rear side B thereof, and which is mounted on a bottom side C of the main body. Reference numeral 2 designates a drain tank which is provided at a lower portion within the main body on a front side A thereof, and which has a curved recessed portion 3 with the compressor 1 fitted therein so as to surround a front side of the compressor 1.

Reference numeral 4 designates an air inlet which is formed at an upper portion of the main body on the rear side B, from which an air path 5 is formed to extend toward the inside of the main body.

Reference numerals 6 and 7 designate an evaporator and a condenser which are provided in the air path 5 on the rear side B of the main body and above the compressor 1. The evaporator 6 is provided just downstream the air inlet 4, and the condenser 7 is provided downstream the evaporator 6.

Reference numeral 8 designates a fan which is provided above the drain tank 2 on the front side A of the main body within the main body, i.e. downstream the condenser 7 within the main body. Reference numeral 9 designates an air outlet which is formed in a top side of the main body on the front side A thereof, and through which air supplied by the fan 8 is blown out of an upper portion of the main body on the front side A thereof.

Reference numeral 10 designates a air blowing direction changing vain which is arranged in the air outlet 9 so as to have variable set angles.

Reference numeral 11 designates a drain pan, and reference numeral 12 designates a drain hole formed in the drain pan 11. The evaporator 6 is carried on the drain pan 11, and the drain tank 2 is provided under the drain hole 12.

Reference numeral 13a and 13b designate first and second refrigerant pipes. The first refrigerant pipe 13a connects between an upper portion of the condenser 7 and an upper portion of the compressor 1. The second refrigerant pipe 13b connects between a lower portion of the evaporator 6 and an upper portion of the compressor 1. Reference numeral 14 designates a capillary tube which connects between a lower portion of the evaporator and a lower portion of the condenser 7. These members form a refrigerant circuit.

The operation of the dehumidifier according to the present invention thus constructed will be explained.

When the compressor 1 is energized to start operation, a refrigerant gas having a high temperature and high pressure flows into the condenser 7 through the first refrigerant pipe 13a, and the condenser 7 is kept at a high temperature.

The fan 8 is also energized to suck air 16 through the air inlet 4. The refrigerant gas in the condenser 7 is cooled and condensed by the sucked air to have a gasliquid mixing state having a high temperature and a high pressure. The refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixing state flows out of the condenser 7, passes through the capillary tube 14 to become a liquefied refrigerant having a low temperature and a low pressure, and flows into the evaporator 6.

The liquefied refrigerant in the evaporator 6 is heated and evaporated by the air 16 sucked through the air inlet 4. As a result, the liquefied refrigerant becomes a refrigerant gas having a low pressure, and is sucked into the compressor 1 through the second refrigerant pipe 13b.

At that time, the sucked air 16 is cooled by the evaporator 6, and a portion of the moisture in the sucked air which is greater than the saturated steam at the temperature after cooling is condensed. The condensed moisture is received in the drain pan 11, and drops into the drain tank 2 through the drain hole 12 to be stored therein.

The sucked air 16 which has contacted with and been cooled by the evaporator 6 to make absolute humidity lowered is heated by the condenser 7, passing therethrough. As a result, the sucked air becomes dehumidified air having a room temperature, and is blown out of the air outlet 9 by the fan 8.

Although explanation of the embodiment has been made with respect to a case wherein the air supplied by the fan 8 is blown out of the air outlet 9 formed in the top side of the main body on the front side A, the air may be blown out of a top side of the main body on the rear side B.

In accordance with the present invention, although vibration, noise and refrigerant sound of the compressor 1 are transmitted to the evaporator 6 and the condenser 7 through the refrigerant pipes 13a and 13b when starting operation, the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser are provided on the rear side B within the main body, and the air inlet 4 is provided in the rear side B, remarkably restraining noise transmission toward a portion in front of the dehumidifier and providing noise reduction at a portion of in front of the dehumidifie The noise level measurement shown in Figure 3 shows that the dehumidifier according to the present invention (indicated by a solid line b) can reduce noise by about 5 dB (A) in comparison with the conventional dehumidifier (indicated by a dotted line a) with respect to the relationshIp between a distance (m) from the front side cf the main body and noise (dB (A)).

When the drain tank 2 surrounds the front side of the compressor 1 (indicated by a solid line c), the operation noise of the compressor 1 can be reduced by further about 1-2 dB (A).

Since the compressor 1 is provided on the rear side B within the main body, and the evaporator 6 and the condenser 7 are provided above the compressor, the shape of the refrigerant pipes 13a and 13b for connecting between the evaporator and the compressor and between the condenser and the compressor can be simplifiea, preventing the refrigerant pipes 13a and 13b from colliding with another part.

Claims (6)

1. A dehumidifier comprising: a main body; a compressor provided in a lower portion within the main body on a rear side thereof; an evaporator and a condenser provided above the compressor within the main body; and an air inlet formed in a rear portion of the main body; wherein air sucked through the air inlet passes through the evaporator and the condenser and is blown out through an upper portion of the main body.

2. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein a drain tank is provided on a front side of the compressor so as to surround the front side of the compressor.

3. A dehumidifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body has a top side formed with an air outlet, which has an air blowing direction changing vane provided therein so as to have variable set angles.

4. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the air inlet is in the upper part of the rear side of the main body.

5. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the air inlet is aligned with the evaporator and condenser to define a straight air path therethrough.

6. A dehumidifier constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A dehumidifier according to claim 5, wherein the straight air path extends straight from the back towards the front of the main body.

7. A dehumidifier constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A dehumidifier comprising: a main body having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls; a compressor provided in a lower portion of the main body at the rear of the main body; an evaporator and a condenser provided within the main body at the rear of the main body and above the compressor; an air inlet formed in the rear wall of the main body; and a drain tank provided in a lower portion of the main body in front of the compressor, portions of the tank extending around the sides of the compressor at its front whereby to reduce the transmission of noise from the compressor to the front of the main body; wherein air sucked through the air inlet passes through the evaporator and the condenser and is blown out through an upper portion of the main body.

2. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a top side formed with an air outlet, which has an air blowing direction changing vane provided therein so as to have variable set angles.

3. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, or 2 wherein the air inlet is in the upper part of the rear wall of the main body.

4. A dehumidifier according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the air inlet is aligned with the evaporator and condenser to define a straight air path therethrough.

5. A dehumidifier according to claim 4, wherein the straight air path extends straight from the back towards the front of the main body.