JP2002260822A - Ion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ion generator which can sharply reduce only the generation of ozone when the generation of ozone is excessive, although the relation of the generated quantity of ion and ozone is proportional even when the generation quantity of ozone is reduced by an intermittent operation, and sharply increase only the generation of ozone when the generation of ozone is insufficient, although the relation of the generated quantity of ion and ozone is proportional even when the generation quantity of ozone is increased by setting the voltage to be impressed to a discharge electrode in advance. SOLUTION: A discharge electrode is plate-shaped, and a plurality of sub- electrodes, protruding along the outer periphery of the discharge electrode with acute angle, are formed, and as the length of the sub-electrodes protruding from the outer periphery are different from adjacent sub-electrode respectively, there exists the sub-electrode with strong discharge, and the sub-electrode with weak discharge or without discharge, and a variation ratio of ozone generation quantity against the ion generation quantity can be kept widely by changing an impression voltage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ion generator for generating ions by corona discharge at a high voltage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as a discharge electrode of a corona discharge type ion generator, one needle-like electrode having a sharp tip and a plurality of needle tips having the same shape and the same length are arranged in parallel. Three types of electrodes, such as a bent electrode or a saw-tooth electrode, are often used.

[0003] When ions are generated by corona discharge, ozone is also generated at the same time as the ions. However, ozone has an excellent sterilizing and deodorizing effect. In addition to control,
It is often necessary to control the amount of ozone generated.

In general, the amount of ozone generated is controlled by an intermittent operation when the amount of ozone is excessive, and by increasing the voltage applied to the discharge electrode in advance when the amount of ozone is insufficient. ing.

[0005]

However, in general, in an ion generator using the above three types of discharge electrodes, if the amount of generated ozone is excessive, the amount of generated ozone is reduced by intermittent operation.・ Because there is almost a proportional relationship between both ozone generation amounts,
It is difficult to significantly reduce ozone alone independently.

Conversely, when the amount of ozone generated is insufficient, if the voltage applied to the discharge electrode is previously set high to increase the amount of ozone generated, the amount of both ion and ozone generated is almost proportional. Due to the relationship, it is difficult to increase ozone alone independently and significantly.

[0007] The reason for this is that when a discharge electrode or a sawtooth discharge electrode in which a plurality of needle tips are arranged in parallel and uniformly is used, the discharge state at all the needle tips or tooth tips is almost the same. This is because when the voltage applied to the discharge electrode is changed, the discharge state at all needle tips or tooth tips changes in the same way, and when the voltage becomes equal to or lower than the discharge starting voltage, the discharge at all needle tips or tooth tips stops. .

As described above, there is no method for controlling the increase / decrease of the ozone generation amount over a wider range as compared with the increase / decrease of the ion generation amount. Therefore, the amount of generated ions must be controlled to decrease or increase in conjunction with each other.

Therefore, even if the odor sensor is used, it is difficult to optimally control the ozone generation amount over a wide range while minimizing the fluctuation of the ion generation amount in a predetermined space.

[0010]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ion generator, comprising: a high voltage generating means for generating a high voltage; and an ion generator connected to the high voltage generator for generating ions. In the ion generator having a discharge electrode, the discharge electrode is formed in a flat plate shape and forms a plurality of sub-electrodes protruding at an acute angle along an outer periphery thereof, and the lengths protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the sub-electrodes are adjacent to each other. Because the child electrodes are different, there are strong discharge electrodes, weak discharge electrodes or discharge-less child electrodes depending on the voltage applied to the discharge electrodes.
By varying the applied voltage, the variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount can be secured widely.

In the second aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator of the first aspect, the distance between the tips of the sub-electrodes adjacent to each other is greater than a distance that does not hinder the discharge of each other.
Even if the discharge start voltage is different for any of the sub-electrodes, the arrangement is such that when the applied voltage is increased, the discharge is ensured when the applied voltage is high. It becomes possible to secure a wide variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator of the first aspect, the ratio of the length of the long electrode protruding between the adjacent sub-electrodes and the length of the short electrode is 0.5 or more. In addition, since it is less than 1, even if any of the sub-electrodes have different discharge start voltage voltages, the arrangement is such that when the applied voltage is increased, the discharge is ensured when the applied voltage is increased, and all the sub-electrodes are discharged by the applied voltage to the discharge electrode. From this fact, it becomes possible to discharge only one battery, and it is possible to widely secure the variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ion generator according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising an output voltage varying means for varying an output voltage of the high voltage generator, and a control means for controlling the output varying means. Therefore, the amount of ions generated or the amount of ozone generated can be changed by changing the voltage applied from the output voltage generation circuit to the discharge electrode via the output voltage variable circuit by the output voltage control circuit.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator according to the fourth aspect, there is provided an odor detecting means for converting an odor into an electric signal in the high voltage generator, and the control means responds to an output of the odor detecting means. Therefore, the output voltage is varied according to the odor in the predetermined space, and the amount of ozone generated in the space can be controlled to an optimum amount.

In order to make the contents of the present invention easier to understand, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ion generator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This ion generator is a negative ion generator composed of a high voltage generator 1 and a discharge electrode 2. When a negative high voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 2 from the high voltage generator 1, the ion generator occurs at the tip of the electrode. Negative ions are generated by corona discharge, and ozone is generated at the same time.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the high voltage generator 1 used in the first embodiment. High power generator 1
Is to boost the input voltage applied between the + input lead 3 and the-input lead 4 by a piezoelectric transformer in the high voltage generating circuit 1a, and connect a diode 1d between the high voltage output section and the GND level 1e. A piezoelectric transformer type high voltage generator for generating a negative high voltage at the discharge electrode 2.

In the first embodiment, the negative high voltage is generated from the high voltage generator 1. However, when the polarity of the diode 1d in the high voltage generator 1 is reversed, the positive high voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 2 To generate positive ions.
When the diode 1d is removed, both positive and negative ions can be generated by applying a high positive and negative voltage to the discharge electrode 2.

In the high voltage generator 1, the output voltage control circuit 1b varies the output voltage from the high voltage 1a via the output voltage variable circuit 1c according to the signal voltage inputted from the external signal input line 5. Can be.

FIG. 3 shows the discharge electrode 2 used in the first embodiment.
FIG. The discharge electrode 2 is formed by processing a nickel thin plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm. The three sub-electrodes 2a, 2b, and 2c have different lengths from the adjacent sub-electrodes. Also, the distance between the tips of the sub-electrodes is designed so as not to hinder each other's discharge, and the discharge state is different even at each discharge start voltage and the same applied voltage.

FIG. 7 shows the measurement results of the amount of negative ions generated and the amount of ozone generated in the first embodiment. As a comparison, FIG. 7 also shows the measurement results of the amount of generated negative ions and the amount of generated ozone of a negative ion generator having a normal single-needle discharge electrode 7.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a single-needle discharge electrode 7 used for comparison. This electrode is also formed by processing a 0.1 mm nickel thin plate, and there is no difference due to the material. Therefore, only the difference due to the shape of the discharge electrode 2 can be read from the measurement result.

As a result, for the ion generator having the single-needle discharge electrode 7, the output voltage was set to a reference value of -2.7 k.
When Vp is changed in the range of -2.5 kVp to -3.5 kVp, the amount of generated negative ions is 340,000 / reference level.
The rate of change from -15% to + 38% with respect to cc, and the amount of ozone generation is -10 with respect to the standard value of 0.040 mg / hr.
% To + 23%, and the rate of change of both generation amounts is not much different, whereas the ion generator of Example 1 has a negative ion generation amount of 300,000 / cc as a reference value.
And the ozone generation amount is a change ratio of -56% to + 78% with respect to the reference value of 0.090 mg / hr. It can be seen that the variable range of the ozone generation amount is wider in comparison.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of Embodiment 2 of the ion generator of the present invention. The ion generator of the present embodiment has a configuration in which a discharge electrode 8 of another shape is attached instead of the discharge electrode 2 of the ion generator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows the discharge electrode 8 used in the second embodiment.
FIG. The discharge electrode 8 is formed by processing a nickel thin plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm. The three child electrodes 8a, 8b, and 8c have different lengths between adjacent child electrodes. The distance between the tips of the sub-electrodes is also designed so as not to hinder each other's discharge, and the discharge state is different even at each discharge start voltage and the same applied voltage.

As a result, the output voltage is set to a reference value of -2.7 k
When Vp is changed in the range of -2.5 kVp to -3.5 kVp, the ion generator of the first embodiment has
The negative ion generation amount is-
The rate of change from 13% to + 53%, the amount of ozone generated is -55% to + 98% with respect to the standard value of 0.084 mg / hr.
It can be seen that the variable range of the ozone generation amount is wider than the variable range of the ion generation amount.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of Embodiment 1 for controlling the ion generator of the present invention. The ion generator used in the first embodiment is the ion generator of the second embodiment of the ion generator, and outputs a signal voltage corresponding to the odor detected by the odor sensor 11 installed in a predetermined space to an external device. The voltage is taken into the output voltage control circuit 1b from the signal input line 5, and based on the value, the voltage applied from the high voltage generation circuit 1a to the discharge electrode 2 is controlled via the output voltage variable circuit 1c, and the voltage to the predetermined space is controlled. It is possible to optimally control the amount of ozone generated while minimizing fluctuations in the amount of generated ions.

The odor sensor 11 used here is a sensor that detects an odor amount in a predetermined space and outputs a signal voltage corresponding to the detected odor amount.

In the ion generator of the first embodiment, when the odor in the predetermined space is small, the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 8 is-
Although operating in the normal mode in which the amount of generated ozone is as small as 2.7 kVp or -2.5 kVp, a signal corresponding to the odor detected by the odor sensor 11 is provided in a state where a large amount of odor is present in a predetermined space and deodorization is required. Based on the voltage, the discharge electrode 8
The output voltage is controlled by the output voltage control circuit 1b so that the applied voltage to -3.5 kVp is increased, and the device operates in a deodorizing mode in which a large amount of ozone is generated and deodorization is actively performed.

Thereafter, the odor in the predetermined space is reduced,
When deodorization becomes unnecessary, the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 8 is set to -2.7 kVp or -2.5 kV based on the signal voltage corresponding to the odor detected by the odor sensor 11.
The output mode is controlled by the output voltage control circuit 1b so as to decrease to p, and the operation mode shifts from the deodorizing mode in which the amount of generated ozone is large to the normal mode in which the amount of generated ozone is small.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of Embodiment 2 for controlling the ion generator of the present invention. The ion generator used in the second embodiment has a structure in which the odor sensor 11 is incorporated in the ion generator of the second embodiment of the ion generator itself, and corresponds to the odor detected by the odor sensor 11. The signal voltage is taken into the output voltage control circuit 1b, and based on the value, the applied voltage from the high voltage generation circuit 1a to the discharge electrode 2 is controlled via the output voltage variable circuit 1c to control the ion generator. As in the first embodiment, it is possible to switch between the normal mode and the deodorizing mode depending on the amount of odor in a predetermined space.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an ion generator having a high voltage generating means for generating a high voltage, and a discharge electrode connected to the high voltage generator for generating ions. In the device, the discharge electrode is formed in a flat plate shape and forms a plurality of sub-electrodes protruding at an acute angle along the outer periphery thereof,
Since the length of the sub-electrode protruding from the outer peripheral surface is different between adjacent sub-electrodes, there is a sub-electrode of strong discharge, a sub-electrode of weak discharge or a non-discharge sub-electrode due to the voltage applied to the discharge electrode. , The variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount can be secured widely.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator of the first aspect, the distance between the tips of the sub-electrodes adjacent to each other is greater than a distance that does not hinder each other. Even if the discharge voltage of the secondary electrode is different, it is arranged to discharge reliably when the applied voltage is increased, and all the secondary electrodes are discharged by the applied voltage to the discharge electrode. It is possible to secure a wide variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator of the first aspect, the ratio of the length of the long electrode protruding between the adjacent sub-electrodes and the length of the short electrode is reduced. Since it is 0.5 or more and less than 1, even if any of the sub-electrodes have different discharge start voltage voltages, the arrangement is such that when the applied voltage is increased, the discharge is ensured when the applied voltage is increased. It is possible to discharge the electrode to discharge only one electrode, and it is possible to widely secure the variation rate of the ozone generation amount with respect to the variation rate of the ion generation amount.

According to the invention of claim 4, claims 1 to 3 are provided.
In the ion generator described above, the output voltage variable circuit for varying the output voltage of the high voltage generator, and the control means for controlling the output variable means, the output voltage variable circuit by the output voltage control circuit, The amount of ion generation or the amount of ozone generated can be changed by changing the voltage applied from the output voltage generating circuit to the discharge electrode via the output voltage generation circuit. Switching between the normal ion generation mode and the deodorization mode that generates a large amount of ozone can be realized with a single ion generator without replacing the discharge electrode and by simply increasing or decreasing the voltage applied to the discharge electrode of the ion generator. It becomes possible.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ion generator according to the fourth aspect, the high voltage generator has an odor detecting means for converting an odor into an electric signal, and the control means comprises the odor detecting means. In order to control the output voltage varying means in accordance with the output of the apparatus, switching between the normal ion generation mode and the deodorization mode with a large ozone generation amount can be performed by a single ion generator without replacing the discharge electrode and in a predetermined space. It can be realized by automatic control according to the odor in the room, and the amount of ozone generated in the space can be automatically controlled to an optimal amount.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the ion generator of the present invention (Embodiment 1).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a high-voltage generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a discharge electrode used in Example 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an ordinary one-needle discharge electrode.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the ion generator of the present invention (Embodiment 2).

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a discharge electrode used in Example 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 Measurement results of the amount of generated negative ions and the amount of ozone

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment for controlling the ion generator of the present invention (Embodiment 1).

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment for controlling the ion generator of the present invention (Embodiment 2).

[Explanation of symbols]

1 High voltage generator, 1a High voltage generation circuit, 1b
Output voltage control circuit 1c ... Output voltage variable circuit, 1d ... Diode, 1e ...
GND level 2: discharge electrode used in the first embodiment, 3 + input lead wire, 4-input lead wire 5: external signal input wire, 6 ... high voltage output wire, 7: normal single-needle discharge electrode 8: discharge electrode used in Example 2, 9: DC power supply, 1
0: Odor sensor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ion generator comprising: a high voltage generating means for generating a high voltage; and a discharge electrode connected to the high voltage generator for generating ions, wherein the discharge electrode has a flat plate shape and is provided on an outer periphery thereof. An ion generator, wherein a plurality of sub-electrodes protruding at an acute angle along the sub-electrodes are formed, and the length of the sub-electrodes protruding from the outer peripheral surface is different between adjacent sub-electrodes. 2. The ion generator according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the tips of the sub-electrodes adjacent to each other is greater than or equal to a distance that does not hinder the discharge of each other. 3. The ion generator according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the length of the long electrode protruding between the adjacent sub-electrodes and the length of the short electrode is 0.5 or more and less than 1. An ion generator, characterized in that: 4. The ion generator according to claim 1, further comprising: an output voltage varying means for varying an output voltage of the high voltage generator; and a control means for controlling the output varying means. Ion generator. 5. The ion generator according to claim 4, wherein
The ion generator according to claim 1, further comprising an odor detecting unit for converting odor into an electric signal in the high voltage generator, wherein the control unit controls an output voltage varying unit according to an output of the odor detecting unit.