JP2002224211A - Sterilization method, ion generator and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sterilization method capable of removing suspended bacteria in air, to provide an ion generator and an air conditioner. SOLUTION: Meshed electrodes 22 and 23 facing each other across a cylindrical dielectric substance 21 are disposed and the ion generator 11 which simultaneously generates positive ions and negative ions by impressing an AC voltage across these electrodes 22 and 23 is disposed on the upstream side of an air diffuser 15 of a blasting route of an air cleaner. The ions are generated by impressing the AC voltage across the electrodes 22 and 23 and the active specifies which have the sterilization effect and are generated by the chemical reaction of the positive ions and the negative ions are made to reach all the corners of space.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilization method for sterilizing airborne bacteria floating in the air. The present invention also provides
The present invention relates to an ion generator that generates ions for sterilizing suspended bacteria and an air conditioner that changes a physical property of air to create a desired atmosphere state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as the living environment has become more airtight, there has been an increasing demand for removing harmful airborne bacteria in the air and living a healthy and comfortable life. In order to meet this demand, air conditioners, such as air purifiers, air conditioners, refrigerators, and the like that remove contaminants from indoors and storage rooms with various filters have been developed.

[0003]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional air conditioner, the air in the space is sucked together with the contaminants, and the contaminants are adsorbed or decomposed by the filter and removed. Therefore, maintenance such as replacement of the filter is indispensable due to long-term use. In addition, satisfactory performance has not been obtained due to insufficient filter characteristics.

On the other hand, an air conditioner using an ion generator to increase the ion concentration in the air has been developed. However, currently available air conditioners generate only negative ions. For this reason, although the effect of relaxing humans by negative ions can be expected to some extent, little effect has been recognized on the active removal of airborne bacteria in the air.

Further, since negative ions are generated from the discharge needle by the DC high voltage method or the pulse high voltage method, a high voltage of 5 kV or more is required as an applied voltage.
For this reason, there is a problem that a large amount of dust adheres to products and peripheral devices. In addition, there is a problem in the safety of the equipment due to the use of a high voltage, and measures such as installing a safety circuit are required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a sterilization method, an ion generator, and an air conditioner capable of effectively removing airborne bacteria in the air. And Another object of the present invention is to provide an ion generator and an air conditioner that can improve safety.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the sterilization method of the present invention is characterized in that positive bacteria and negative ions are emitted to sterilize floating bacteria floating in the air. According to this configuration, for example, by applying an AC high voltage between the electrodes, an ionization phenomenon due to discharge or the like occurs in the atmosphere, and positive ions and negative ions are generated. In this case, for example, as a H ⁺ positive ions produced (H ₂ O) _n, as the negative ions e.g. O ₂ ^- is (H ₂ O) _n are generated.

These positive ions and negative ions alone have no particular effect on airborne bacteria. However, when these ions are generated, active species are generated by a chemical reaction, and the active species can surround and remove airborne bacteria in the air.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the sterilization method having the above-mentioned structure, the positive ions are composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m (m is an arbitrary natural number).

[0010] The present invention, in the sterilization method of the above configuration, the negative ions are ^{_{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n (n is an arbitrary natural number) is characterized in that it consists of.

[0011] Further, the sterilization method of the present invention is characterized in that H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m
(M is an arbitrary natural number) and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂
O) _n (n is generated and a negative ion consisting arbitrary natural number), by attaching the floating bacteria floating in the air, the H
⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) or .OH (hydroxyl radical) generated by the reaction of O _2- (H ₂ O) _n
Is used to sterilize the floating bacteria.

According to this configuration, for example, when an AC high voltage is applied between the electrodes, an ionization phenomenon occurs due to a discharge or the like in the atmosphere, and H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{m as a} positive ion and a negative ion. O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n is produced most stably. H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and _{^{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n is attached to the surface of the bacteria, the chemical reaction with an active species H ₂ O ₂ or · O
Generate H. Since H ₂ O ₂ or .OH exhibits extremely strong activity, they can surround and remove airborne bacteria in the air. Here, .OH is one of the active species, and indicates OH of a radical.

[0013] The present invention also provides the sterilization method of each of the above constitutions, wherein 10 points from the point of generation of the positive ions and the negative ions.
each ion concentration at a position separated by a distance of 10,000 cm.
It is characterized in that the number of pieces / cm ³ or more is set.

Further, the ion generating apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that positive ions and negative ions are generated to sterilize floating bacteria floating in the air. According to this configuration, the floating bacteria floating in the air are killed by the positive ions and the negative ions released into the air.

Further, according to the present invention, in the ion generator having the above-mentioned structure, the positive ions are made of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m (m is an arbitrary natural number).

[0016] The present invention, in the ion generating device of the above configuration, the negative ions are ^{_{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n (n is an arbitrary natural number) is characterized in that it consists of.

Further, the ion generating apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that H ⁺ (H ₂
O) _m (m is a positive ions consisting of an arbitrary natural number), O ₂ ^-
(H ₂ O) _n (n is an arbitrary natural number) to generate negative ions and attach them to airborne bacteria floating in the air.
⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and the _{^{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n are characterized by sterilizing the floating bacteria by H ₂ O ₂ or · OH is produced by the reaction.

Further, according to the present invention, in the ion generator of each of the above structures, the positive ions and the negative ions are generated by applying an AC voltage between electrodes facing each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween. . According to this configuration, when an AC voltage is applied to the electrodes, ionization occurs due to discharge or the like in the atmosphere, and positive ions and negative ions are generated.

According to the present invention, in the ion generator of each of the above structures, the effective value of the AC voltage is 1.1 kV to 1.1 kV.
It is characterized by a voltage of 4 kV. According to this configuration, ions can be generated with a lower applied voltage than before, so that safety is improved, and a safety device required when a high voltage is applied can be omitted, and cost can be reduced. .

Further, according to the present invention, in the ion generator of each of the above structures, the dielectric is formed of a flat plate. According to this configuration, formation and maintenance of the electrodes sandwiching the dielectric are facilitated.

Further, according to the present invention, in the ion generator of each of the above constitutions, the ion concentration at a position 10 cm away from the point of generation of the positive ions and the negative ions is set to 10,
It is characterized in that the number is set to 000 pieces / cm ³ or more.

Further, the air conditioner of the present invention is provided with the ion generator of each of the above constitutions, and sends out the positive ions and the negative ions into the air.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the air conditioner having the above-described structure, the ion generator is arranged in an air blowing path. According to this configuration, the danger of contact with a finger or the like can be avoided without exposing the electrodes.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the air conditioner of each of the above constitutions, the ion generator is arranged near the inside of the air outlet of the blowing path. It is possible to suppress a decrease in ions before being sent out from the air outlet.

Further, according to the present invention, in the air conditioner of each of the above constitutions, an ozone sensor for detecting the concentration of ozone is provided near the ion generator, and the concentration of ozone is set to a constant value based on the detection result of the ozone sensor. The method is characterized in that at least one of the effective value of the AC voltage applied to the ion generator and the amount of air delivered is changed as follows. According to this configuration, the amount of ozone harmful to the human body generated by the ion generator is suppressed to a reference value or less.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS <First Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an air cleaner provided with the ion generator of the first embodiment. The air purifier has an air inlet 12 on the front side,
A filter 13 and a blower fan 1 are provided behind the air inlet 12.
4 is provided. An air outlet 15 is provided above the blower fan 14, and the ion generator 11 is arranged between the blower fan 14 and the air outlet 15.

When the blower fan 14 is driven, room air is taken in from the air inlet 12, and dust and the like are removed by the filter 14. The air is delivered indoors from the clean air air outlet 15 from which dust and the like have been removed. At this time, positive ions and negative ions generated by the ion generator 11 are released into the room together with air.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the ion generator 11. In the ion generator 11, a ground electrode 23 is arranged along the outer peripheral surface of a glass tube 21 which is a cylindrical dielectric whose one end is closed, and an application electrode 22 is formed along the inner peripheral surface of the glass tube 21. Are arranged. The high frequency circuit 4 is connected to the application electrode 22. The glass tube 21 of the present embodiment is made of Pyrex (registered trademark) having a thickness of 1 mm. The ground electrode 23 and the application electrode 22 are desirably an electrode material having a large number of through-holes, and use mesh-shaped SUS304.

The ground electrode 23 is used as a ground potential to apply the electrode 2
An AC voltage is applied to 2 by a high frequency circuit 4. When an AC high voltage is applied to the application electrode 22, the end face of the mesh-like ground electrode 23 becomes a strong electric field. Therefore, the ground electrode 2
3, a plasma discharge occurs, and oxygen and water vapor in the air are ionized to generate ions.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show the ion generator 1.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the results of measuring the concentration of ions generated from No. 1. 3 (a) and 3 (b) respectively show the concentration of negative ions and the concentration of positive ions (unit: pieces / cm ³ ), and the horizontal axis shows the distance from the peripheral surface of the glass tube 21 (unit). : C
m).

The applied AC voltage has a frequency of 15 kHz.
z, the effective values are 1.1 kV and 1.4 kV. An air ion counter (Model No. 83-1001B) manufactured by Dan Kagaku Co., Ltd. was used as an ion concentration measuring device, and the mobility was 1c.
Small ions of m ² / Vsec or more are detected by varying the distance from the peripheral surface of the glass tube 21 of the ion generator 11.

According to these figures, the ion generator 11
When the distance from is increased, the concentration of both positive ions and negative ions decreases, and at a position 20 cm from the peripheral surface of the glass tube 21,
Positive and negative ions of about 200,000 to 400,000 pieces / cm ³ were measured simultaneously.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are composition diagrams of positive ions and negative ions generated by plasma discharge. Water molecules in the air are ionized by the plasma discharge to generate hydrogen ions (H ⁺ ), and the water molecules in the air are clustered with the hydrogen ions by the solvation energy to form positive ions H ^+.
(H ₂ O) _m is formed. In addition, oxygen ions or water molecules in the air are ionized by the plasma discharge to generate oxygen ions (O ₂ ⁻ ), and the water molecules in the air are clustered with the oxygen ions by the solvation energy to form negative ions O ₂ ^−.
(H ₂ O) _n is formed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the positive and negative ions sent to the living space surround the floating bacteria floating in the air. Positive and negative ions undergo a chemical reaction on the surface of the floating bacteria as shown in the formulas (1) to (3) to generate hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) or a hydroxyl radical (.OH) as an active species. . Here, in Expressions (1) to (3), m,
m ', n, and n' are arbitrary natural numbers. Thereby, the suspended bacteria are destroyed and sterilized by the decomposing action of the active species. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently sterilize and remove airborne bacteria in the air.

[0035]

(Equation 1) As shown in FIG. 1 described above, the above-mentioned ion generator 11 was provided on the upstream side of the air outlet 15 in the blowing path of the air cleaner, and the performance of removing airborne bacteria in the air was evaluated. First, 2.0 m in length, 2.5 m in width, and 2.7 m in height (volume 1)
An air purifier is installed in the target area of 3.5 m ³ ), and general viable bacteria and fungi previously cultured on the medium are sprayed into the container. Then, while operating the ion generator 11, the operation of the air purifier was started, and the concentration of suspended bacteria was measured every predetermined time. The concentration of general viable bacteria and fungi was measured using an RCS air sampler manufactured by Biotest, Germany.
It is sampled at a flow rate of L / min for 4 minutes and measured. Table 1 shows the results.

[0036]

[Table 1] As is clear from Table 1, 83% of general viable bacteria and 88% of fungi can be removed 3 hours after the operation of the air purifier is started. Therefore, according to the air purifier provided with the ion generator according to the present embodiment, most of the suspended bacteria in the air can be removed very favorably. In addition, the ions released into the room fall and spread to every corner outside the flow path of the indoor air, so that the suspended bacteria can be efficiently removed.

In the conventional discharge method, the applied voltage is 5
The effective value of the AC voltage applied to the ion generator 11 is about 1.1 kV to about 1.4 kV, whereas good sterilization performance can be obtained. As a result, the safety and reliability of the device are remarkably improved, and a safety device required for applying a high voltage between the electrodes can be omitted. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an air purifier provided with an ion generator having a simple structure and excellent safety at low cost.

Further, by arranging the ion generator 11 in the air passage of the air purifier, the voltage of the applied electrode 22 becomes high.
It is possible to improve the safety by avoiding the danger of contact with the finger or the like without exposing the object. Further, the ion generator 1
By arranging 1 in the vicinity of the air outlet 15, reduction of ions before being sent out from the air outlet 15 can be suppressed, and sterilization can be performed efficiently. <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. This embodiment has the same configuration as that of the air cleaner of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 described above, and is a modification of the structure of the ion generator. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the ion generator 11 of the present embodiment. In the ion generator 11, a ground electrode 2 is arranged along the outer peripheral surface of a glass tube 1 which is a cylindrical dielectric, and an application electrode 3 is disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the glass tube 1.
Is arranged.

The glass tube 1 of this embodiment has an inner diameter of 10 m.
m, thickness 1.3 mm, length 150 mm Pyrex (registered trademark). The ground electrode 2 has a wire diameter of 0.2
It is made of SUS304 having a mesh shape of 3 mm, a mesh size of 30 meshes, and a length of 100 mm. The application electrode 3
It is made of a plate-shaped SUS304 having a thickness of 0.8 mm and a length of 80 mm.

A high-frequency circuit 4 is connected between the ground electrode 2 and the application electrode 3, and an AC voltage is applied to the application electrode 3 by the high-frequency circuit 4. When an AC voltage is applied to the application electrode 3, a plasma discharge occurs from the ground electrode 2 to generate ions as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the measured ion concentration in air when a voltage is applied to the application electrode 3. The vertical axis indicates the ion concentration (unit: number / cm ³ ), and the horizontal axis indicates the effective value (unit: kV) of the applied AC voltage. The high frequency circuit 4 applies a voltage of 22 kHz and an effective voltage from 1.3 kV to 1.8 kV variably to the application electrode 3.

An air ion counter similar to that described above is used as an ion concentration measuring device, and the measuring device is installed at a position 10 cm from the peripheral surface of the ion generator 11. A blower is installed on the opposite side of the ion generator 11 from the measurement device, and the air is blown at a wind speed of 3 m / sec to perform measurement.

As a result of measuring the ion concentration, when no voltage was applied to the application electrode 3, the ion concentration of each of the positive ions and the negative ions was about 300 ions / cm ³ . When the applied AC voltage was increased to 1.52 kV or more, generation of obvious ions from the ion generator 11 was confirmed. The applied voltage is 1.6 kV and about 1
3,000 / cm ³ or more, about 3 at 1.8 kV
It was 00000 / cm ³ , and it was confirmed that the ion concentration increased as the applied voltage increased.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the ratio of the suspended bacteria in the air to the concentration of ions released from the ion generator. The vertical axis indicates the residual rate of the suspended bacteria (unit:%), and the horizontal axis indicates the ion concentration (unit: number / cm ³ ). Vertical 2.0 in an atmosphere of temperature 25 ° C and relative humidity 42%
In a target area of 2.5 m in width and 2.7 m in height and 2.7 m in height (13.5 m ^{3 in} volume), ions are sent into the space using the ion generator 11, and are blown at a flow rate of 4 m ³ / min to indoor air. The air was stirred.

The ion concentration indicates a measured value at a position 10 cm from the peripheral surface of the glass tube 1 of the ion generator 11.
Escherichia coli in the form of a mist with a concentration of 500-
About 1500 cells / m ³ were sprayed, and when the ions were sent out for one hour, detection was made by the number of E. coli remaining in the air. The number of E. coli was determined to be 40 L / mi using the same air sampler as above.
The sample was taken at a flow rate of n for 4 minutes and measured.

According to the figure, when ions are not sent out (the ion concentration is about 300 / cm ₃ ), the residual rate of suspended bacteria due to natural attenuation after one hour has passed is 63.5% (decrease rate 36.5%). %). Initial concentration of E. coli (eg, 5
(Between 00 and 1500 pieces / m ³ ) has a measurement error of about 10%. Therefore, the residual rate of suspended bacteria is 53.5%.
If it is not more than (decrease rate 46.5%), it can be considered that there is a bactericidal effect.

In consideration of the accuracy of the test, the residual ratio of Escherichia coli after 1 hour is 6
A condition of 0% or more is desirable. Based on this, looking at the measurement results in FIG. 8, the ion concentration is about 10,000 particles / cm.
It can be seen that the bactericidal effect appears at the time of ³ , and when it is more than ^3, the residual rate decreases rapidly. Therefore, when the ion concentration is 1
A sterilization effect can be obtained by setting the number to 000 / cm ³ or more.

FIG. 9 shows the change with time of the residual rate of the suspended bacteria with respect to the ion delivery time. The vertical axis shows the residual rate of the suspended bacteria (unit:%), and the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time (unit: time) after the start of ion delivery. The test conditions were the same as above, and the glass tube 1 of the ion generator 11 was used.
The ion concentration at a position 10 cm from the peripheral surface (see FIG. 6) is 300 ions / cm ³ (when no ions are transmitted), 1
The measurement was performed for the cases of 0000 / cm ³ and 300,000 / cm ³ .

According to this, the higher the ion concentration, the lower the residual rate of suspended bacteria, and the same result as in FIG. 8 is obtained. Therefore, as described above, a higher sterilizing effect can be obtained by increasing the ion concentration generated by the ion generator 11. When the ion concentration is 300,000 / cm ³ or more, the residual rate can be reduced to 10% or less in one hour after the ion is sent out.
Sterilization can be performed more quickly and efficiently. Third Embodiment FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing an air cleaner according to a third embodiment. This embodiment has the same configuration as the air purifier of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
This is a modification of the structure of the ion generator. For convenience of description, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 11 shows an ion generator 11 according to this embodiment.
It is sectional drawing which shows a. In the ion generator 11a, a ground electrode 23a made of a metal mesh and an application electrode 22a are disposed to face each other with a glass plate 21a, which is a flat dielectric, interposed therebetween. The glass plate 21a of the present embodiment has a thickness of 3
mm Pyrex (registered trademark), ground electrode 2
3a and the application electrode 22a are made of mesh stainless steel (S
US304). Further, an AC voltage can be applied to the application electrode 22a by the high frequency circuit 4 with the ground electrode 23a serving as a ground potential.

As described above, when an AC high voltage is applied to the application electrode 22a, ions are generated. The ion concentration at this time was measured by the same measuring method as described above. The applied AC voltage has a frequency of 20 kHz and an effective value of 3 kV. The above-mentioned air ion counter is used as the ion concentration measuring device, and the glass plate 21a of the ion generating device 11a is used.
Mobility of 1 cm ² / Vsec at a position 10 mm from the surface of
The above small ions were detected. As a result, about 60,
Positive and negative ions of 000～70,000 pieces / cm ³ were measured simultaneously.

The ion generator 11a is connected to the above-described FIG.
As shown in FIG.
5 was provided on the upstream side, and the removal performance against airborne bacteria in the air was evaluated. First, the height is 2.0 m, the width is 2.5 m, and the height is 2.
This air purifier is installed in a target area of 7 m (volume: 13.5 m ³ ), and general viable bacteria and fungi cultured on a medium in advance are sprayed into the container. Then, while operating the ion generator 11a, the operation of the air purifier was started, and the concentration of suspended bacteria was measured every predetermined time. The concentration of general viable bacteria and fungi was adjusted to 40 with the same air sampler as above.
It is sampled at a flow rate of L / min for 4 minutes and measured. Table 2 shows the results.

[0053]

[Table 2] As is clear from Table 2, three hours after starting the operation of the air purifier, 72% of the general viable bacteria and 75% of the fungi can be removed. Therefore, it was confirmed that the air purifier provided with the ion generator 11a according to the present embodiment can remove most of the suspended bacteria in the air extremely well.

Since the dielectric (glass plate 21a) is formed in a flat plate shape, the formation and maintenance of the ground electrode 23a and the applied electrode 22a are easier than in the ion generators of the first and second embodiments. Can be In addition, since the adhesion between the ground electrode 23a and the application electrode 22a and the dielectric material is improved, the reliability of the ion generator can be improved. Fourth Embodiment FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner provided with an ion generator according to a fourth embodiment. In the figure, 11 is the same ion generator as the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 described above, 42 is an air inlet, 43 is a filter arranged downstream of the air inlet 42, 44 is a blower fan, 45 is a heat exchanger and 46 is an air outlet.

As in the first embodiment, the ion generator 1
No. 1 was provided on the upstream side of the air outlet 46 in the ventilation path of the air conditioner, and the performance of removing airborne bacteria in the air was evaluated. First, 2.0 m in length, 2.5 m in width, and 2.7 m in height (volume 1)
The air conditioner was installed in a target area of 3.5 m ³ ), and general viable bacteria and fungi cultured on a medium in advance were sprayed into the container. Then, while operating the ion generator 11, the operation of the air conditioner was started, and the concentration of suspended bacteria was measured every predetermined time. The concentrations of general viable bacteria and fungi were measured by collecting the same air sampler at a flow rate of 40 L / min for 4 minutes. Table 3 shows the results.

[0056]

[Table 3] As is clear from Table 3, three hours after the operation of the air conditioner was started, 87% of general viable bacteria and 90% of fungi could be removed. Therefore, it was confirmed that the air conditioner provided with the ion generator according to the present embodiment can remove most of the suspended bacteria in the air extremely well. Further, the same effect can be obtained by using the same ion generator as the second embodiment shown in FIG. <Fifth Embodiment> FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner provided with an ion generator according to a fifth embodiment. For convenience of description, the same parts as those of the fourth embodiment in FIG. 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals. This embodiment is different from the ion generator 11 of the air conditioner of the fourth embodiment in that the third embodiment shown in FIG.
The same ion generator 11a as in the embodiment is used.
The other points are the same as the fourth embodiment.

As in the fourth embodiment, the ion generator 1
1a was provided on the upstream side of the air outlet 46 in the air flow path of the air conditioner, and the performance of removing bacteria suspended in the air was evaluated. First, this air conditioner is installed in a target area of 2.0 m in length, 2.5 m in width, and 2.7 m in height (13.5 m ^{3 in} volume), and general viable bacteria and fungi cultured in advance on a culture medium are placed in a container. Sprayed. Then, while operating the ion generator 11, the operation of the air conditioner was started, and the concentration of suspended bacteria was measured every predetermined time. The concentration of general viable bacteria and fungi was 40 L / min using the same air sampler as above.
At a flow rate of 4 minutes for measurement. Table 4 shows the results.
Shown in

[0058]

[Table 4] As is clear from Table 4, three hours after the operation of the air conditioner was started, 75% of general viable bacteria and 78% of fungi could be removed. Therefore, it was confirmed that the air conditioner provided with the ion generator according to the present embodiment can remove most of the suspended bacteria in the air extremely well. Sixth Embodiment The ion generators 11 and 11a described in the first to fifth embodiments also generate ozone at the same time as generating ions. This ozone is not only an unpleasant odor, but also a substance harmful to the human body. Therefore, in order to comfortably remove airborne bacteria in the space, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient ion generation amount while suppressing the ozone generation amount as much as possible.

This embodiment is different from the air cleaner of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the ozone sensor 31 for detecting the concentration of ozone is connected to the ion generator 1 as shown by the broken line.
1 and the air outlet 15. The ozone sensor 31 detects the concentration of ozone in the air sent from the air outlet 15 and feeds it back to a control unit (not shown). The control unit controls the effective value of the AC voltage applied to the ion generator 11 and the amount of air blown by the blower fan 14.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams showing the results of measuring the ozone concentration by installing an ozone concentration measuring device at different distances from the ion generator 11 in the direction of the air outlet 15. The vertical axis indicates the ozone concentration (unit: ppm), and the horizontal axis indicates the distance from the ion generator 11 (unit: c).
m). The applied AC voltage has a frequency of 15k
Hz, the effective value is 1.1 kV (FIG. 14 (a)) and 1.4.
kV (FIG. 14B). In addition, blower fan 1
The measurement is performed when the air volume of No. 4 is 0.8 m ³ / min and 4 m ³ / min.

According to these figures, the ion generator 11
It is found that the lower the effective value of the AC high voltage applied is, the lower the ozone concentration is, and the higher the air volume of the blower fan 14 is, the lower the ozone concentration is. Therefore, the ozone sensor 31
(See FIG. 1) based on the detection result.
By varying the effective value of the AC voltage applied to 1 or the air volume of the blower 14, the ozone concentration can be set to a desired value.

In this embodiment, 0.1 ppm, which is a safety standard value determined by the Industrial Hygiene Association, is adopted as the standard value of the ozone concentration, and the applied voltage and the air volume are varied to reduce the ozone concentration to 0.1 ppm. The following is maintained. Thereby, a safe air purifier can be provided to the human body.

In the present embodiment, the case where the ozone concentration is adjusted using an air purifier equipped with an ion generator has been described. However, the ozone concentration is similarly adjusted for the air conditioner shown in FIG. By providing a sensor and controlling the applied voltage of the ion generator or the air volume of the blower, it is possible to remove airborne bacteria in the air while keeping the ozone concentration below the reference value.

In the first to sixth embodiments, the air purifier and the air conditioner have been described, but other air conditioners may be used. The air conditioner referred to in the present invention refers to a device that changes the physical properties of air to create a desired atmosphere, and includes a dehumidifier, a humidifier, an oil fan heater, a gas fan heater, a ceramic fan heater,
Refrigerator etc. are included. By having a configuration provided with the above-described ion generator in those described in these specific examples,
Similar effects can be obtained.

[0065]

According to the present invention, most of the airborne bacteria in the air can be easily and satisfactorily removed by releasing the positive ions and the negative ions to sterilize the airborne bacteria floating in the air. In addition, since the ions released into the room or the storage room fall to the outside of the flow path of the air sent out by dropping, the suspended bacteria can be efficiently removed.

According to the present invention, the positive ions H ⁺ (H
₂ O) m or negative ions O ₂ ^- (for using H ₂ O) _n,
Each ion can be supplied stably, and active species can be easily generated by the reaction of positive ions and negative ions.

According to the present invention, the ion concentration at a position 10 cm away from the point of generation of positive ions and negative ions is set to 10,000 ions / cm ³ or more, respectively.
High sterilizing effect can be obtained.

According to the present invention, positive ions and negative ions can be easily generated by applying an AC voltage between electrodes facing each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween. When the effective value of the applied AC voltage is about 1.1 kV to 1.4 kV, positive ions and negative ions sufficient for sterilization can be generated. As a result, the safety and reliability of the device are remarkably improved, and a safety device required for applying a high voltage between the electrodes can be omitted. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an air purifier provided with an ion generator having a simple structure and excellent safety at low cost.

Further, according to the present invention, since the dielectric is formed in a flat plate shape, preparation and maintenance of the electrode can be facilitated. In addition, since the adhesion between the electrode and the dielectric is improved, the reliability of the ion generator can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, by arranging the ion generating device in the air flow path of the air conditioner, the danger of contact with a finger or the like can be avoided without exposing a high-voltage electrode, thereby improving safety. be able to.

According to the present invention, by arranging the ion generator near the air outlet, it is possible to suppress the reduction of ions before being sent out from the air outlet, and to sterilize efficiently.

Further, according to the present invention, the effective value of the AC voltage or the amount of air sent is varied based on the detection result of the ozone sensor provided in the vicinity of the ion generator so that the concentration of ozone becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. Therefore, a safe air conditioner can be provided to the human body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an air purifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the ion generator of the air purifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the concentration of ions generated from the ion generator of the air purifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the distance.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the composition of positive ions and negative ions.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state of sterilization by positive ions and negative ions.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing an ion generator of the air purifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the concentration of ions generated from the ion generator of the air purifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the applied voltage.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the concentration of ions generated from the ion generator of the air purifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the residual rate of suspended bacteria.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the generation time of ions generated from the ion generator of the air purifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the residual rate of suspended bacteria.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing an air purifier according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing an ion generator of an air purifier according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between an ozone concentration generated by an ion generator of an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention and a distance.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21 Glass tube 2, 23, 23a Ground electrode 3, 22, 22a Applied electrode 11, 11a Ion generator 12, 42 Air inlet 13, 43 Filter 14, 44 Blast fan 15, 46 Air outlet 21a Glass plate 31 Ozone sensor 45 Heat exchanger

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) F24F 7/00 F24F 1/00 371B (72) Inventor Akio Miyata 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka F-term in Sharp Corporation (reference) 3L051 BC02 4C058 AA19 BB06 EE30 KK06 4C080 AA07 BB05 CC01 HH02 JJ01 KK02 LL02 MM01 MM08 QQ17 4G075 AA03 AA61 AA65 BA08 CA12 CA47 EB21 EC21 FA03 FB02 FB02

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A sterilization method comprising releasing positive ions and negative ions to sterilize floating bacteria floating in the air. 2. The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the positive ions are composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m (m is an arbitrary natural number). Wherein the negative ions are _{^{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n (n is an arbitrary natural number) sterilizing method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it consists of. Wherein _{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} (m is an arbitrary natural number) and positive ions _{^{consisting, O 2 - (H 2 O}} ) n (n is an arbitrary natural number) to generate a negative ion consisting Te, is deposited on the floating bacteria floating in the air, the H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and the O ₂ ^- (H ₂
O) A sterilization method characterized by sterilizing the suspended bacteria with H ₂ O ₂ or .OH generated by the reaction of _n . 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each ion concentration at a position 10 cm away from the generation point of said positive ion and said negative ion is 1
Sterilizing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the 0,000 pieces / cm ³ or more. 6. An ion generator which generates positive ions and negative ions and sterilizes floating bacteria floating in the air. 7. The ion generator according to claim 6, wherein the positive ions are composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m (m is an arbitrary natural number). Wherein said negative ions are _{^{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} n (n is an arbitrary natural number) the ion generating device according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that it consists of. 9. _{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} (m is an arbitrary natural number) and positive ions _{^{consisting, O 2 - (H 2 O}} ) n (n is an arbitrary natural number) to generate a negative ion consisting Te, is deposited on the floating bacteria floating in the air, the H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and the O ₂ ^- (H ₂
O) An ion generator characterized in that the floating bacteria are sterilized by H ₂ O ₂ or .OH generated by the reaction of _n . 10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the positive ions and the negative ions are generated by applying an AC voltage between electrodes facing each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween. Ion generator. 11. The effective value of the AC voltage is 1.1 kV to
11. The ion generator according to claim 10, wherein the voltage is set to 1.4 kV. 12. The ion generator according to claim 10, wherein the dielectric comprises a flat plate. 13. The ion concentration at a position 10 cm away from the point where the positive ions and the negative ions are generated is set to 1
The ion generator according to any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the number is set to 000 / cm ³ or more. 14. An air conditioner, comprising the ion generator according to claim 6, wherein the positive ion and the negative ion are sent into the air. 15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the ion generator is disposed in an air blowing path. 16. The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the ion generator is disposed near an inside of an air outlet of the air blowing path. 17. An ozone sensor for detecting the concentration of ozone is provided near the ion generator, and the ozone sensor is applied to the ion generator based on the detection result of the ozone sensor so that the concentration of ozone becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein at least one of an effective value of the AC voltage and a delivery amount of the air is varied.