JP2000167334A - Air purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air purifier capable of efficiently removing various malodors or harmful substances in the air inclusive of gaseous water-soluble substances. SOLUTION: A wet type removing mechanism 22 for removing a water soluble contaminant by humidifying spray is provided in addition to a dry type removing mechanism 21 for removing a gaseous malodor or harmful substance in air. The wet type removing mechanism 22 is constituted of a water film filter 7 and the dehumidifying part 8 provided therebehind. The water film filter 7 is constituted of a humidifying spray part 7 for spraying water or a natural plant extract containing many kinds of acidic, neutral and basic moistures and a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid or the like and the dehumidifying part 8 provided therebehind.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air purifier and relates to various types of particulate and gaseous odorous substances and harmful substances in the air, mainly gaseous water-soluble substances which have been difficult to remove. It also enables the removal of pollutants.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional air purifying apparatus, an adsorbing method mainly using an activated carbon or the like, an ozone oxidizing method in which an oxidation reaction is promoted by ozone, and a titanium oxide around a light source are mainly used for removing gaseous odorous substances and harmful substances. A dry removal mechanism such as a titanium oxide photocatalyst system that uses a membrane to extend the life of the sterilization / deodorization function is used.

[0003] Adsorbents such as activated carbon have the property of immediately adsorbing and removing various hydrophobic contaminants.
However, although the adsorption is fast, when the adsorption reaches saturation, it cannot be used any more, and there is a disadvantage that maintenance is troublesome.

Further, in order to compensate for this drawback and enhance the sterilization / deodorization function and extend the life, a removal mechanism using a photocatalyst in combination with an adsorbent using a photocatalyst technique is also used (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Heisei 9 (1994) -208). 10-33653, JP-A-10-118519).

However, the photocatalyst has a specific wavelength (180 nm).
m to 420 nm), the effect is exhibited. If the dirt is deposited and the light does not reach the surface of the titanium oxide catalyst, no decomposition reaction occurs. In addition, at present, even if the conditions for sufficiently exhibiting the performance are satisfied, the decomposition reaction of the titanium oxide photocatalyst occurs gradually, and all the substances that are brought into contact with the surface of the titanium oxide photocatalyst by the adsorbent or the like are removed. It does not break down immediately. Furthermore, various intermediate products are released by the decomposition mechanism, and safety issues have been pointed out.

Similarly, a cleaning device using ozone (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-206558, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
No. 749) can also immediately decompose odors and the like in the presence of high-concentration ozone, but the ozone concentration must be controlled so that the ozone concentration in the discharged air is 0.05 ppm or less. There remain security concerns.

As described above, in any of the prior arts, the removal of gaseous malodorous substances and harmful substances in the air requires
There was a problem in terms of performance life and safety, and not all substances had an effect of removing all substances.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide various kinds of malodorous substances including gaseous water-soluble substances and harmful substances in the air, which are difficult to remove with a conventional air purifier. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air purifying apparatus which can remove odors continuously and efficiently for a long time without any maintenance, and has excellent characteristics in terms of economy, safety, durability and the like.

[0009]

The air purifying apparatus of the present invention is provided with a humidifying spray section in addition to a dry type removing mechanism for removing gaseous malodorous substances and harmful substances in the air. The object is achieved by providing a wet removal mechanism for removing water-soluble contaminants for removing substances.

If a wet removal mechanism is constituted by the humidification spraying section and the dehumidification section at the rear thereof, the humidity can be adjusted and water-soluble odor components and harmful substances can be removed together with the water.

As the humidifying spraying section, it is preferable to spray a variety of acidic, neutral or basic water, water containing a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid, or a natural plant extract.

[0012]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic configuration of an air cleaning device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a dust filter 2, a dust collector 3, an adsorbent filter 4, a photocatalyst filter 5, and a light source (ultraviolet lamp) are provided in an air passage from an inlet 1 to an outlet 10.
6, a humidifying spray unit 7, a dehumidifying unit 8, and a blower fan 9 are sequentially arranged. The dust removal filter 2, the dust collection unit 3, the adsorbent filter 4, the photocatalyst filter 5, and the light source 6 constitute a dry removal mechanism 21, and the humidification spray unit 7 and the dehumidification unit 8 form a wet removal mechanism 22. It is configured.

Here, the dust removing filter 2 and the dust collecting section 3
Is a particulate matter removing mechanism 31 for mainly removing particulate matter.
The adsorbent filter 4, the photocatalyst filter 5, the light source 6, the humidifying spray unit 7, and the dehumidifying unit 8 constitute a gaseous substance removing mechanism 32 for mainly removing gaseous substances.

The adsorbent filter 4 is made of activated carbon, zeolite or the like capable of adsorbing odorous components. The photocatalyst filter 5 irradiates ultraviolet rays from the light source 6 to purify contaminants such as odor components, and serves as a dry deodorizing unit together with the adsorbent filter 4. The adsorbent filter 4 and the photocatalyst filter 5 are not separately provided, but may be a filter in which an adsorbent and a photocatalyst are kneaded. The filter shape is desirably a honeycomb-shaped corrugated type from the viewpoint of suppressing pressure loss, but is not limited thereto.

Here, the photocatalyst means a substance that absorbs light and gives the energy to a reactant to cause a chemical reaction. Specifically, upon irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, holes generated on the surface of the photocatalyst react with water adsorbed on the surface of the photocatalyst to form radical OH (hydroxyl radical)
Is generated, and the radical OH breaks the molecular bond of the organic substance, thereby deodorizing an odor component such as ammonia.

Further, as the photocatalyst, may be used titanium dioxide (Ti0 ₂₎ and zinc oxide (ZnO) and tungsten trioxide having a crystal structure of anatase type, it is preferable to particularly use a titanium dioxide.
Because, in the case of titanium dioxide, sufficient deodorizing function can be exerted even with weak ultraviolet rays, and a wide range of odorous substances, such as ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, trimethylamine, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, styrene,
This is because malodor such as methyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide and isovaleric acid can be removed.

As the light source 6, a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp, a germicidal lamp, a black light, or the like is preferable in terms of cost, performance life, and the like. Light having a wavelength of 420 nm or less is emitted from the Ti
0 ₂ and activate the photocatalyst such as ZnO (excitation) by efficiently contaminants can be purified. Among ultraviolet rays generated from the ultraviolet lamp, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 200 nm or less, particularly ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 185 nm, convert oxygen in the atmosphere into ozone to generate an ozone atmosphere, and this ozone reduces harmful substances in the gas. Partially oxidized and rendered harmless.

Further, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 230 to 270 nm, particularly ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 245 nm, not only have a function of acting on ozone to convert it into oxygen and radical oxygen, but also have a bactericidal effect against bacteria and the like contained in the gas. . Radical oxygen acts as a much stronger oxidizing agent than ozone, and harmful substances are efficiently detoxified by contact with radical oxygen.

The wet removal mechanism 22 provided by the humidification spraying unit 7 and the dehumidification unit 8 disposed on the rear side of the dry removal mechanism 21 removes mainly water-soluble contaminants which cannot be removed by the dry removal mechanism 21, and uses a photocatalyst and ultraviolet rays. The purpose is to remove the intermediate product reacted by the above.

The humidifying spraying unit 7 is provided with various kinds of water including acidic, neutral and basic (alkaline) water, water containing a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid, or a natural plant extract or the like. To remove the water-soluble contaminants, which could not be removed by the dry removal mechanism 21, into the moisture.

The humidifying and spraying section 7 has a structure in which various acidic, neutral and basic (alkaline) chemicals, water containing a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid, or a natural plant extract can be constantly supplied from a tank. To Natural plant extracts include cedar family, cypress family, pinaceae, birch family, nettle family, camphoraceae family, beech family, citrus family, oyster family, perilla family, chestnut family, aster family, gramineae family, lily family, amaryllidaceae At least one type of composition selected from extracts of plant tissues of the family and the like. Among them, pine, hiba,
Extracts from conifers such as cedar and cypress have excellent deodorizing effects. In addition, a so-called forest bathing effect can be expected, and it will be possible to meet the needs of health promotion.

The dehumidifying section 8 has a dehumidifying filter such as zeolite or a cooling type dehumidifying structure, adjusts humidity, and removes water-soluble odor components and harmful substances together with water.

[0024]

As described above, the adsorption method using an adsorbent such as activated carbon, the ozone oxidation method that promotes the oxidation reaction by ozone, and the titanium oxide film disposed around the light source to extend the life of the sterilization and deodorization functions. When the treatment is performed only by a dry removal mechanism such as a titanium oxide photocatalyst method, it is difficult to remove water-soluble harmful substances, but according to the invention according to claim 1, water-soluble harmful substances can also be removed. Therefore, an air purifying device that can efficiently remove a wider range of malodorous substances and harmful substances than conventional ones and has excellent characteristics in terms of economy, safety, durability and the like can be obtained. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the dehumidifying section is disposed at the rear of the humidifying spray section, the humidity can be adjusted and the water-soluble odor components and harmful substances can be removed together with the water.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a wide range of malodorous substances and harmful substances can be removed continuously and efficiently over a long period of time without maintenance, and there is an effect of promoting health.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of an air cleaning device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 suction port 2 dust removing filter 3 dust collecting section 4 adsorbent filter 5 photocatalytic filter 6 light source (ultraviolet lamp) 7 humidifying spray section 8 dehumidifying section 9 blower fan 10 outlet 21 dry removal mechanism 22 wet removal mechanism 31 particulate matter removal mechanism 32 Gaseous substance removal mechanism

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page F term (reference) 4C080 AA05 AA06 AA07 BB02 CC01 HH02 HH05 KK06 KK08 LL04 LL10 MM02 MM31 NN04 NN14 QQ11 QQ17 QQ20 4D020 AA09 BA15 BA19 BA23 BB03 CB25 CD01 4D052 AA09 CA

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In addition to a dry removal mechanism for removing gaseous malodorous substances and harmful substances in the air, a wet removal mechanism for removing water-soluble contaminants by providing a humidifying spray unit is provided. An air purifier characterized by the following. 2. The air cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the wet-type removing mechanism includes the humidifying spray unit and a dehumidifying unit at a rear part thereof. 3. The humidifying spraying unit sprays various kinds of acidic, neutral, and basic water, water containing a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid, or a natural plant extract. The air purifying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.