JP2003207165A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the design of an operation display of an ultraviolet lamp itself and appearance of a body case using light emission of the ultraviolet lamp for sterilization. <P>SOLUTION: A flat-plate state ultraviolet lamp which emits visible rays from one face and ultraviolet rays from the other face is arranged in the neighborhood of the body case of a machine so that the front face is the visible rays emitting face, a front cover is provided on its front and this front cover is made to light. The front cover is made of a semi-transparent or transparent material in which a photoluminescent pigment is mixed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner such as a dehumidifier equipped with an ultraviolet lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional air conditioner of this type,
For example, JP-A-1-234729 and JP-B-6-72.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 703, an ultraviolet lamp for sterilization and deodorization is used. In these air conditioners, an ultraviolet lamp was placed in the center of the machine.
In such an air conditioner, if the inside of the machine is opened while the ultraviolet lamp is in operation, ultraviolet rays are emitted and pose a danger to the human body. Therefore, an operation indicator lamp for the ultraviolet lamp is required.

[0003]

However, such an operation indicating lamp has not been a surface emitting type. Also, when incorporating surface emission in a design,
There were many inconveniences in terms of structure and cost. Further, since the ultraviolet lamp and the indicator lamp are separate parts, a guarantee circuit and a safety circuit for a failure of the indicator lamp circuit are required. It should be noted that the use of light emitted from an ultraviolet lamp for a design effect has not been studied at all.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and utilizes the emission of an ultraviolet lamp for sterilization to improve the design of the operation display of the ultraviolet lamp itself and the appearance of the main body case. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention is provided with an ultraviolet lamp disposed near the inner surface of a main body case of a machine body and a main body on the front side of the ultraviolet lamp. A front cover formed on a part of the case, the front cover is formed of a transparent or semitransparent resin material mixed with a bright pigment, and the ultraviolet lamp has a front cover side surface with visible light. As a light emitting surface, a flat plate ultraviolet lamp having a surface inside the machine body as an ultraviolet light emitting surface, such that the ultraviolet light emitting surface faces the air passage in the machine, and visible light emitted from the visible light emitting surface is It is provided in the main body case so as to be projected on the front cover.

According to this structure, during the time period when the ultraviolet lamp is used to sterilize the air passing through the air passage, visible light is always emitted from the ultraviolet lamp, and the front cover is wide in area. Get brighter. This allows the user to easily and surely know the operation of the ultraviolet lamp. Further, since the operation display lamp of the separate light source is not used for the operation display of the ultraviolet lamp, a guarantee circuit or a safety circuit for the failure of the separate light source is not required. Further, since the bright pigment is blended in the resin material forming the front cover, visible light is diffused and the visibility and design effect are improved. Also, since the ultraviolet lamp is a flat plate ultraviolet lamp, one surface of which is a visible light emitting surface and the other surface of which is an ultraviolet emitting surface. It can be simplified.

The front cover may be formed in a shape extending from the front surface side of the main body case to the side surface side of the main body case. With this configuration, the visible light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp is laterally emitted due to the propagation of the visible light in the front cover. Therefore, the operation display of the ultraviolet lamp can be visually recognized not only from the front but also from the side.

In the front cover, the blending amount of the bright pigment contained in the portion constituting the front side of the main body case is more than the blending amount of the bright pigment contained in the portion constituting the side face of the main body case. It may be many. In this case, in order to facilitate the production, the portion forming the front surface side of the main body case and the portion forming the side surface side of the main body case may be formed and joined as separate bodies. According to this structure, the diffusibility of light in the portion forming the side surface side of the main body case is improved, and the diffusivity of light to the side surface portion is improved.

A lens for laterally diffusing visible light may be provided between the ultraviolet lamp and the front cover. With this configuration, the visible light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp can be laterally diffused by the lens, and the visibility from the side surface portion is improved.

Further, the lens is formed so as to be curved inward from the center portion in the left-right direction toward the inside of the machine main body, and is formed so that the thickness becomes thinner toward the side. Good. According to this structure, the amount of reflected light in the side portion of the lens is increased, and the lateral diffusion of visible light is further improved.

Further, the lens may have a rough surface on the inside of the machine body. With this configuration, on the surface of the lens inside the machine body,
Since visible light is diffusely reflected when visible light propagating through the lens is reflected and when visible light from the ultraviolet lamp is incident on the lens, it is possible to improve a feeling of brilliance and improve a design effect.

The lens is preferably made of polystyrene as a raw material. According to this structure, the transparency of the lens is good, the surface reflection inside the lens is good, and the lateral diffusion of visible light is improved.

Further, the lens is formed with a protrusion extending linearly in the height direction of the machine body with a predetermined width at the center portion in the left-right direction, and the front cover has an opening for penetrating the protrusion. May be provided. According to this structure, since the visible light is directly emitted from the protruding portion to the outside of the machine, the protruding portion becomes brighter than the periphery of the protruding portion. As a result, an illuminance difference can be generated between the protruding portion and the left and right portions of the protruding portion, and the design effect can be improved.

Further, the air conditioner includes an evaporator for cooling and dehumidifying the air sucked into the machine, and a drain tank for storing the water dehumidified by the evaporator. A part of the drain tank is a machine. The front portion of the main body may be exposed on the front surface and both right and left side surfaces, and may be formed of a transparent or translucent material that allows water level see-through. According to this structure, a part of the drainage tank is exposed on the front surface and both side surfaces in the front part of the machine body, so that the amount of water stored in the drainage tank can be confirmed from the three directions of front, left, and right.

In the front part of the machine body, a part of the drainage tank exposed on the front surface and the left and right side surfaces is
The shape may be continuous with the front cover, and may be formed of a transparent or translucent material capable of seeing through the water level and containing a bright pigment. According to this structure, visible light propagation can be expected due to the continuity of the shape of the front cover and the exposed portion of the drain tank. As a result, the drain tank can also be illuminated, and the design effect can be improved.

Further, the drainage tank may be provided with a water level display portion which can be seen through from the outside of the machine body. This makes it easier for the user to grasp the amount of water stored in the drain tank.

Further, the water level indicating portion may be formed by a horizontal reinforcing rib arranged at a deformed portion of the drainage tank having a planar shape. With this configuration, it is not necessary to provide a special water level display section, and the configuration of the parts can be simplified.

A plurality of the reinforcing ribs may be arranged at equal intervals in the height direction. With this configuration, it becomes easier to understand the amount of stored water.

Further, the reinforcing ribs may be arranged such that the uppermost one indicates the fullness of the drainage tank. With this configuration, the user can predict the time when the drain tank is full, which is convenient for the user.

The bright pigment preferably has glass flakes or block flakes as a base material, and the surface of the base material is coated with a metal or a metal oxide. As a method for coating a metal or a metal oxide, a method of electrolessly plating a metal on a base material of glass flakes or lump flakes, a rutile titanium dioxide uniformly on a base material of glass flakes or lump flakes by a liquid phase method There is a method of coating. According to this structure, high reflection of visible light can be obtained on the surface of the bright pigment base material, and the bright feeling of the front cover is improved. That is, as a resin containing a conventional bright pigment, there is a resin material containing a metal foil such as silver or nickel, or a metal powder. However, as compared with these resins, the glass flakes or lump flakes have a metal. Alternatively, a metal oxide-coated product is lightweight, so that it is easily mixed randomly in the resin material, and a wide range of brilliance can be obtained. Further, the resin containing the bright pigment according to the present invention has an effect of preventing warpage and shrinkage of a resin molded product, and facilitates molding work.

[0021]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments in which the present invention is embodied in a dehumidifier will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In the dehumidifier according to the present embodiment, as shown in the external perspective view of FIG. 4, the body case 1 of the machine body is elongated in the front-rear direction and the operation portion 1a is formed on the front upper surface. . On the upper side of the main body case 1, as shown in the main part configuration view seen from the upper surface side of FIG. 1, an evaporator 2 and a condenser 3 which constitute a heat exchanger of a refrigeration cycle as an air conditioner in the width direction. The blowers 4 are sequentially arranged in the direction of the air flow in the machine. The blower 4 is composed of a motor 5, an impeller 6, an up-and-down blow type fan housing 7, and the like, and is configured to be able to blow up and down.

Further, as shown in FIG.
As shown in the configuration diagram of the main part viewed from the front side of FIG. 3 and the configuration diagram of the main part viewed from the left side face in FIG. 3, the evaporator 2 and the condenser are provided on the rear side (lower left side in FIG. 3) in the main body case 1. 3, a compressor 8 and an accumulator 8a that form a refrigeration cycle are attached, and a drainage tank 9 that stores dehumidified water that is condensed by the evaporator 2 and drops on the front side (the lower right side in FIG. 3) in the main body case 1. It is arranged. The drainage tank 9 is detachably housed in the main body case 1 in a pull-out manner from the front surface of the machine body, and the front side portion is exposed to the outside of the main body case 1 in the stored state. This exposed portion then forms part of the outer contour of the machine body.

An ultraviolet lamp unit 10 is incorporated on the inner surface of the front surface of the upper part of the main body case 1. Further, a front cover 11 is detachably attached to the front side of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 in the main body case 1. The front cover 11 forms part of the outer contour of the machine body, but the body case 1 is formed at both end portions.
A gap is formed between the two and the gaps, and these gaps are formed as narrow intake ports 12 and 13 for sucking air (see FIG. 1). An air filter 12a having a substantially chevron shape in plan view is interposed between the inner surface of the front cover 11 and the ultraviolet lamp unit 10, and the air taken in through the air inlets 12 and 13 passes through the air filter 12a. It is configured to be sucked into the aircraft via the.

In addition to the intake ports 12 and 13, the dehumidifier according to the present embodiment is provided with grill structure intake ports 14 and 15 at the rear portion of the rear surface and the right side surface of the main body case 1 ( (See FIG. 1). In this manner, the intake ports 12, 13,
The reason for providing 14 and 15 is that by providing the intake ports at a large number of places, when the intake ports are installed in a narrow space such as a gap between the side wall of the closet and the bunches or a gap between furniture and furniture, a part of the intake ports is not provided. Even if it is blocked, the other intake ports are left open. For example, even if the inlets 12 and 15 on the right side are blocked by the side wall of the closet, bunches, furniture, etc., the inlet 13 on the left side and the inlet 14 on the rear side are left open. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent a decrease in dehumidification ability due to a decrease in intake air amount.

On the other hand, as an outlet of this dehumidifier, an upper outlet 17 is formed on the upper surface of the main body case 1, and a lower outlet 18 is formed on the lower part of the left side surface (see FIG. 2).
The upper outlet 17 is provided with a lid 17a that is opened and closed in a rotary manner about the right end as a spindle, and the lower outlet 18 is provided with a lid 18a that is opened and closed in a vertical slide manner (FIG. 2, FIG. (See FIG. 4). A handle 1b is attached to the central portion of the upper surface of the main body case 1 so as to be tilted and stored on the side opposite to the upper outlet 17.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the blower 4, the fan housing 7a on the right side of the impeller 6 in FIG.
2, the fan housing 7b on the left side is formed as a lower blow-out housing and is housed in the machine body. The upper outlet 17 is connected to the upper outlet housing 7a of the blower 4, and the lower outlet 18 is connected to the lower outlet housing 7b of the blower 4.

The in-machine air passages are intake ports 12, 13, 1
4, 15 → air filter 12a, 14a → evaporator 2
→ Condenser 3 → Blower 4 → It is formed so as to pass through the path of the upper outlet 17 and the lower outlet 18, but the intake 13
The air sucked in from is passed through the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 before going to the evaporator 2.

The air that has passed through the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 is sucked to the evaporator 2 side from the lattice-shaped intake holes 19 formed on the back side of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10. The grid-like intake holes 19 are formed on substantially the entire back side of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5 with the front cover 11 removed. Since it is blocked by the blow-out type fan housing 7 and the like, all the air sucked from the intake port 13 passes through the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 and evaporates from the lattice-shaped intake holes 19 on the opposite side of the front cover 11. It is distributed to the container 2.

The UV lamp unit 10 is a detailed configuration diagram seen from the upper surface of the machine body in FIG. 6, a detailed configuration diagram seen from the left side of the machine body in FIG. 7, a detailed configuration diagram seen from the inside of the machine body in FIG. As you can see, flat UV lamp 2
0, a resin case 30 forming a storage case, an elastomer packing 40, an aluminum case 50 forming a storage case in cooperation with the resin case 30, a photocatalyst filter 60, a control board 70, a device cover 71, and a screw 72. , An optical sensor 73 and the like. A lens 80 that disperses visible light laterally is attached to the front surface of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10.

The flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 is a flat light emitting lamp, and has 452 nm from the main body case 1 side (front side).
It is configured to be capable of radiating visible light having a wavelength of, and radiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 253.7 nm that maximizes the bactericidal effect from the inside of the machine body (on the side of the photocatalyst filter 60).

FIG. 10 shows the basic structure and principle of the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20. The flat ultraviolet lamp 20 is formed of a UV transparent glass (value-soda glass) 21 that transmits ultraviolet rays on one surface side (inside the main body of the machine), and a normal UV light transmitting glass that does not transmit the ultraviolet rays on the other surface side. It is made of soda glass 23. The phosphor 22 is applied to the inner surface of the soda glass 23. The flat ultraviolet lamp 20 includes a UV transparent glass 21,
Mercury vapor and argon gas are enclosed in a container formed of ordinary soda glass 23 or the like, and discharge electrodes 24 are provided on both sides.
a and 24b are arranged. Discharge electrodes 24a, 24b
When a glow discharge occurs in between, the electrons 25 flowing between the discharge electrodes 24a and 24b collide with the argon atoms 26 and the mercury atoms 27. The ultraviolet rays 28 generated by colliding with the mercury atoms 27 pass through the UV transparent glass 21 on the one surface side,
Visible light 29 is generated by striking the phosphor 22 on the other surface side (soda glass 23 side).

Since the visible light 29 has the emission color of the phosphor 22, the phosphor 22 which emits light of a desired color can be used. The ultraviolet lamp unit 10 can be obtained by using a white fluorescent material used in a normal fluorescent lamp and coloring the lens 80 with, for example, a blue color that generally gives an image of sterilization.
Also, the lens 80 can be made inexpensive.

In the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 having such a structure, the UV transparent glass (value-soda glass) 21 side is the ultraviolet light emitting surface 20a and the soda glass 23 side is the visible light emitting surface 20b. Further, in the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20, the visible light emitting surface 20b faces the front side of the machine body (front cover 11 side), and the ultraviolet emitting surface 20a is exposed inside the machine body, that is, the air passage 10a in the resin case 30. It is installed as shown.

The housing case for housing the flat ultraviolet lamp 20 is composed of the resin case 30 and the aluminum case 50 as described above. Resin case 30
Is a resin-molded hollow base material, and has an upper portion as a shallow dish-shaped device mounting portion 31 and a lower portion as a lamp mounting portion 32 having a generally U-shaped cross section. . As can be seen from FIG. 6, the lamp mounting portion 32 has an open U-shape inside the machine body. As shown in FIG. 11, the lamp mounting portion 32 is initially resin-molded in a planar shape, and a U-shaped corner portion is a thin portion 32a. Then, after that, the thin portion 32a
It is bent as shown in FIG. 12 to form a U-shape.

On the U-shaped side wall of the lamp mounting portion 32,
A ventilation port is provided for allowing the air taken in through the intake port 13 to flow into the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10. The ventilation port is located outside in the rear in order to prevent the ultraviolet rays 28 emitted from the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 from leaking and allow the air sucked from the intake port 13 to flow into the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10. It is formed by an armor grid 33 that is inclined toward the bottom (downward in FIG. 9).

A visible light emitting hole 34 is formed in the central surface portion (the central surface portion on the front surface side of the main body of the machine body of the U-shaped cross section) of the lamp mounting portion 32 configured to allow ventilation as described above, and the inside thereof is It is a storage space for storing the flat ultraviolet lamp 20. The flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 is housed in this housing space so that the visible-light emitting surface 20b of the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 faces the visible-light emitting hole 34. The flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 is attached to the surface provided with the visible light emitting hole 34 with an elastomer packing 40 as a sealing material for preventing leakage of the ultraviolet rays 28.

The inner surface of the lamp mounting portion 32 of the resin case 30 may be irradiated with ultraviolet rays 28 to deteriorate the resin itself forming the resin case 30, so that an aluminum layer is formed by vacuum deposition. . This aluminum layer can be formed by pasting an aluminum tape, but if it is formed by vacuum deposition, even if the resin case 30 is formed in a complicated shape or structure due to design reasons, the entire surface will be It is possible to form an aluminum layer having a uniform thickness over the entire length. Therefore, when the aluminum layer is formed by vacuum evaporation, the aluminum layer can be easily formed even if the ventilation holes are formed by the armor grid 33.

Inside the lamp mounting portion 32 of the resin case 30, the other aluminum case 5 constituting the storage case is provided.
0 is inserted. Aluminum case 50 has 2 UV rays
The reflector 8 is attached to the inside of the machine body of the lamp mounting portion 32 of the resin case 30 in order to prevent leakage of the ultraviolet rays 8 to the outside of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10. The aluminum case 50 is made of an aluminum material and is formed into a box shape with one surface open. And the U-shaped lamp mounting part 3
The aluminum case 50 is inserted into the resin case 30 so that the second opening and the box-shaped opening of the aluminum case 50 face each other.

The aluminum case 50 has a box-shaped bottom surface and a side surface portion that overlaps the side surface portion of the resin case 30.
Armor grids 51 and 52 are formed so as to allow air to flow in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 while preventing leakage of the ultraviolet rays 28. The side wall armor grid 52 enables the aluminum case 50 to be housed in the lamp mounting portion 32 of the resin case 30, and the lamp mounting portion 32 can be housed.
In order to improve the effect of preventing the leakage of the ultraviolet rays 28 in cooperation with the lamp, the lamp is inclined toward the inside of the lamp mounting portion 32 and toward the inside of the machine body (back side). In addition, an armor grid 51 on the bottom surface (back side of the machine body) of the aluminum case 50.
Is formed so that it does not project to the outside of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10, and the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 can be attached in close contact with the lattice-shaped intake holes 19.

A photocatalytic filter 60 is arranged on the inner surface (rear surface side) of the bottom surface of the aluminum case 50. Therefore, the flat ultraviolet lamp 20 and the photocatalyst filter 60 are arranged in parallel to each other. The photocatalyst filter 60 is formed by supporting titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) having an anatase type crystal structure on a flat plate-shaped catalyst carrier having a large number of ventilation holes 61 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 14, the ventilation hole 61 is formed as a hole inclined with respect to the flat plate-shaped flat portion. When such a photocatalytic filter 60 is exposed to ultraviolet rays 28 having a band cap value of more than about 3.5 eV, that is, a wavelength of about 400 nm or less, odor components such as ammonia, which is a general source of odor, are mainly generated. Ultraviolet rays 2
It is excited by the light energy of 8 to be oxidatively decomposed and deodorized. In this way, the photocatalyst filter 60 can be used semipermanently without replacement, because the adsorbed odorous components are oxidized and decomposed to be regenerated (refreshed).

A control board 70 is fixed to the device mounting portion 31 by a device cover 71. Further, the optical sensor 73 is attached to the lower part of the device attaching portion, and the device cover 7
Covered by 1. And this equipment cover 7
The optical sensor mounting portion 7 that mounts the optical sensor 73 in the light-shielded structure by mounting the optical sensor 1
4 are configured. In addition, a screw 72 is attached to the device cover 71 via the device mounting portion 31 and the lens 80.
The device cover 71 is fixed to the device mounting portion 31 by screwing it into the device la, and the lens 80 is fixed to the ultraviolet lamp unit 10.

The lens 80 is for spreading the visible light 29 radiated from the visible light emitting surface 20b of the flat ultraviolet lamp 20 to the side, and further, the center portion in the width direction is provided at the front cover 11. It is for exposing the outside of the to produce a design effect. The lens 80 is made of polystyrene in order to have good transparency and good surface reflection inside the lens 80. The lens 80 is vertically long and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, but the shape when viewed from above has a curved arc shape inside the machine body, and is formed so as to become thinner toward the side. There is.

On the outer side of the center line portion in the width direction of the lens 80, there is formed a projecting portion 81 extending in the height direction with a constant width and projecting to the front side of the machine body. On the other hand, the front cover 11 of the main body case 1 is formed with a vertically long opening 11a at a position facing the protrusion 81 (see FIG. 15). The lens 80 is attached to the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 so that the protrusion 81 protrudes from the opening 11a to the front side of the machine body.

A concave portion 82 having an arcuate plane cross section is formed on the inner side of the center line portion of the lens 80 in the width direction so as to face the protruding portion 81. The concave portion 82 facilitates the visible light 29 to enter the lens 80,
The amount of visible light projected from the lens 80 to the outside of the machine is increased.

Although the lens 80 is mounted on the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 as described above, it is not limited to such a structure and may be mounted on the front cover 11.

The drainage tank 9 is made of the same semi-transparent or transparent resin material as the front cover 11, and is exposed at the front and left and right side surfaces of the machine body in the front part of the machine body. Is located in the lower part of. Further, the front portion 91 of the drainage tank 9 has a front surface shape such that the shape of the front cover 11 is extended. Further, the rear portion 92 of the drainage tank 9 is formed to have a width smaller than that of the front portion so as to be housed in the main body case 1 (see FIGS. 16 to 18). Then, horizontal reinforcing ribs 93, 94, and 95 are formed on the deformed portion of the plane shape. The reinforcing ribs 93, 94, and 95 are formed at equal intervals in the height direction (see FIG. 17), and are formed so that they can be seen through from the side of the machine body. The uppermost reinforcing rib 93 is formed at the full position of the drainage tank 9 and also serves as a full display.

When the dehumidifier having the above construction is installed in a narrow space such as between the side wall of the closet and the bun, the air containing a large amount of moisture in the closet is rotated by the blower 4 to cause an arrow in FIG. Intake ports 12, 1 as shown in
Inhaled from 3, 14, 15. The air taken in through the intake port 13 is sterilized by the ultraviolet lamp unit 10,
At least a part thereof passes through the photocatalytic filter 60 and is deodorized. Further, the air sucked from the intake ports 12, 13, 14, 15 is cooled and dehumidified by passing through the evaporator 2. The air that has been cooled and dehumidified in the evaporator 2 is heated by its heat as it passes through the condenser 3, becomes dry air, and is blown into the room from the upper outlet 17 and the lower outlet 18 by the action of the blower 4. It

Moisture in the air dehumidified in the evaporator 2 collects in a drainage tank 9 provided below the evaporator 2. The water accumulated in the drainage tank 9 can be discharged by pulling the drainage tank 9 forward and taking it out. In addition, since the front portion 91 of the drainage tank 9 is exposed on the front surface and the left and right side surfaces of the front portion of the machine body, the water storage amount of the drainage tank 9 can be confirmed from the three directions of front, left, and right. Further, it is possible to easily know how much the amount of stored water is when the water is full, because the supply ribs 93, 94 and 95 serve as water level markers. In this way, the supply rib 9
Since 3, 94, and 95 also serve as the water level display of the drainage tank 9, it is not necessary to provide any other special water level display section. In addition,
When the water level of the drainage tank 9 reaches the vicinity of the position of the reinforcing rib 93 which is the highest mark display, the other full water detection device is activated and the operation of the dehumidifier is stopped.

The flat ultraviolet lamp 20 is energized only when an ultraviolet lamp switch (not shown) is turned on during the operation of the dehumidifier. Flat UV lamp 20
Emits ultraviolet rays 28 from the ultraviolet light emitting surface 20a and emits visible light 29 from the visible light emitting surface 20b when energized.

A part of the visible light 29 is directly emitted from the projecting portion 81 to the outside of the machine, and another part of the visible light 29 is transmitted to the outside of the machine through the front cover 11. When the visible light 29 passes through the front cover 11, the front cover 11 emits surface light. As a result, the user can know the operation of the flat ultraviolet lamp 20 reliably and easily. Also, the front cover 11
Has a shape that extends from the front surface of the machine body to the side surface of the machine body, so that the operation of the flat ultraviolet lamp 20 can be known from the side of the machine body by the propagation of the visible light 29 in the front cover 11. Further, since the front cover 11 contains the glitter pigment, the visible light 29 is diffused, visibility and glitter feeling are improved, and the design effect is also improved. Further, this bright pigment has glass flakes or lump flakes as a base material, and the surface of the base material is coated with a metal or a metal oxide, so that the reflection of the bright pigment on the surface of the base material becomes large, The bright feeling of the cover 11 is improved. That is, as a resin containing a conventional bright pigment, there is a resin material mixed with a metal foil such as silver or nickel, or a metal powder.
The above glass flakes or lump flakes coated with a metal or a metal oxide are lightweight, so that they are easily blended randomly in a resin material, and a wide range of glitter feeling can be obtained. Further, the resin containing the bright pigment according to the present invention,
It has the effect of preventing warpage and shrinkage of resin molded products and facilitates molding work.

Further, as described above, when the visible light 29 is emitted to the front side of the machine body, a part of the visible light 29 is directly emitted from the protruding portion 81, and the other portion diffuses the light laterally. Since it passes through the lens 80 and is emitted to the outside of the machine through the front cover 11, the protruding portion 81 becomes brighter than its surroundings, and the illuminance can be changed.
You can add variety to your designs. The lens 80 maintains high illuminance on the side portion of the front cover 11.

The visible light 29 radiated from the ultraviolet lamp 20 to the center of the lens 80 is reflected by the surface of the lens 80 when it enters the lens 80 because the recess 82 is formed in the center of the lens 80. The light is reduced and the light incident on the side of the lens 80 is increased. Further, the visible light 29 that has entered the lens 80 has a curved shape and is formed thin on the side, so that the reflected light on the side inside the lens 80 increases, and the visible light 29 on the side of the visible light 29 increases. To the side of the machine body becomes more visible.

Part of the light diffused by the front cover 11 is
Since the shape of the front part 91 of the drainage tank 9 is formed so as to have continuity with the shape of the front cover 11, it is propagated to the front part of the drainage tank 9 and the drainage tank 9 can be illuminated.

On the other hand, the ultraviolet rays 28 emitted from the ultraviolet ray emitting surface 20a sterilize the air passing through the air passage 10a in the ultraviolet lamp unit 10. At this time, since the inner surface of the housing case housing the ultraviolet lamp 20 is made of aluminum, the ultraviolet rays are diffusely reflected and the sterilizing effect is improved. When the photocatalyst filter 60 is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays 28, the photocatalyst is activated, the odorous components in the air passing through the photocatalyst filter 60 are oxidized and decomposed, and the air circulated in the machine is deodorized. The flat ultraviolet lamp 20 is attached to the resin case 30 via the elastomer packing 40, the armor grid 33 is provided as a ventilation hole on the side surface of the resin case 30, and the aluminum UV lamp 20 is made of aluminum. By providing the armor grids 51 and 52 in the air circulation port of the case 50, the ultraviolet rays 28 radiated from the ultraviolet ray emitting surface 20a are prevented from leaking to the outside of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10.
Since the elastomer packing 40 is highly elastic and is not attacked by the ultraviolet rays 28, a good ultraviolet seal packing can be obtained.

Further, in the case of the above embodiment,
Since it is not necessary to use the ultraviolet lamp operation display lamp of another light source, it is not necessary to provide a guarantee circuit or a safety circuit for a failure of the ultraviolet lamp operation display lamp of another light source. Further, since the lens 80 is made of polystyrene as a raw material, the transparency of the lens 80 is good, and the reflection on the inner surface of the lens 80 is good, so that the visible light 2
The lateral diffusion of 9 is good. Further, since the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20 is formed as a flat plate, the mounting structure of the flat-plate ultraviolet lamp 20, the irradiation structure of the ultraviolet rays 28,
It is easy to simplify the structure using the visible light 29.

Further, since the housing case of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 is composed of the resin case 30 and the aluminum case 50, the resin case 3 has a complicated shape.
By setting the value to 0, the structural adjustment with the air conditioner can be easily performed. Also, the ultraviolet lamp unit 1
Since the resin case 30 of No. 0 has an aluminum layer formed on the inner surface thereof, the heat generated from the ultraviolet lamp 20 is easily released, and the resin layer is deteriorated by the ultraviolet rays 28 due to the aluminum layer on the inner surface. Is prevented. Further, since this aluminum layer is formed by vacuum vapor deposition, even if the resin case 30 has a complicated shape and structure including the armor lattice 33, an aluminum layer having a uniform thickness is formed over the entire surface. .

Further, since the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 is arranged on the upstream side in the in-machine air flow path, it is possible to prevent bacteria and odorous components from adhering to the evaporator 2, condenser 3 and blower 4 on the downstream side. It is hygienic and easy to maintain.

Modifications Modifications of the above embodiment will be described below. (1) In the front cover 11, the blending amount of the bright pigment in the central portion may be made larger than the blending amount of the bright pigment in the lateral portion. If formed in this way, the visible light 29 propagates laterally of the front cover 11 well. In this case, when it is difficult to integrally mold the front cover 11, the front surface side portion of the machine body and the side surface side portion of the machine body may be molded separately and then joined together. (2) Resin case 30 of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10
In the above embodiment, the inner surface is covered with aluminum vapor deposition, but the outer surface may be covered with aluminum vapor deposition. According to this structure, the amount of light reflected to the lens 80 side increases, and the illuminance of the front cover 11 can be improved. (3) In the above embodiments, the photocatalyst filter 60 is provided to have a deodorizing function, but the photocatalyst filter 60 may be omitted if only the sterilizing function is provided. It should be noted that even with such a configuration, the operation display from the front side of the machine and the design effect are not affected, and the sterilizing function of the ultraviolet lamp unit 10 has the same effect as the above embodiment. To be (4) The surface of the lens 80 inside the machine body may be a rough surface. According to this structure, the visible light 29 propagating in the lens 80 is reflected on the surface of the lens 80 inside the machine body, and the visible light 29 from the ultraviolet lamp 20 enters the lens 80. Since the light 29 is diffusely reflected, the glittering feeling is improved and the design effect can be improved. (5) In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the dehumidifier has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner such as an air conditioner.

[0060]

The present invention can bring about the following effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the visible light emitted from the surface of the ultraviolet lamp brightens the front cover over a wide range, so that the operation of the ultraviolet lamp can be easily and surely known. Therefore, it is not necessary to use the operation indicator lamp of another light source. Further, since the bright pigment is mixed in the resin material forming the front cover, visible light is diffused, and the visibility and the bright feeling are improved. Also, since the ultraviolet lamp is a flat plate ultraviolet lamp, one surface of which is a visible light emitting surface and the other surface of which is an ultraviolet emitting surface. It can be simplified.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the front cover is formed in a shape extending from the front side of the main body case to the side surface side of the main body case, the ultraviolet lamp is generated by the propagation of visible light in the front cover. Visible light emitted from the side is also emitted laterally. Therefore, the operation display of the ultraviolet lamp can be visually recognized not only from the front but also from the side.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in the front cover, the blending amount of the bright pigment contained in the portion forming the front side of the main body case is contained in the portion forming the side surface side of the main body case. Since it is larger than the blending amount of the bright pigment,
The diffusibility of light in the portion forming the side surface side of the main body case is improved, and the diffusivity of light to the side surface portion can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the lens for diffusing the visible light laterally is provided between the ultraviolet lamp and the front cover, the visible light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp is visible. The light can be diffused laterally by the lens, and the visibility from the side surface of the machine body is improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the lens is formed in a curved shape on the inside of the main body of the machine and is formed so as to become thinner toward the side, The reflected light at the side portions of the is increased, and the lateral diffusion of visible light is further improved.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the surface of the lens inside the machine body is formed to be a rough surface,
On the surface of the lens inside the machine body, when visible light propagating in the lens is reflected and when visible light from the ultraviolet lamp enters the lens, the visible light is diffusely reflected, which improves the glitter feeling. , The design effect can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 7, since the lens is formed by using polystyrene as a raw material,
The transparency of the lens becomes good, the surface reflection inside the lens becomes good, and the lateral diffusion of visible light is improved.

Further, according to the invention of claim 8, since the projecting portion at the center of the lens penetrates the lens cover,
Visible light is directly emitted from the protrusion to the outside of the machine, and the protrusion becomes brighter than the periphery of the protrusion. As a result, an illuminance difference can be generated between the protruding portion and the left and right portions of the protruding portion, and the design effect can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 9, a part of the air conditioner is exposed on the front surface and both left and right sides in the front part of the machine body, and is made of a transparent or translucent material. Because it has a drainage tank,
You can check the amount of water stored in the drainage tank from three directions, left and right.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, as described above, the part of the drainage tank exposed at the front part of the machine body is shaped to be continuous with the front cover. From this, visible light can be expected to propagate from the drain tank. As a result, the drain tank can also be illuminated, and the design effect can be improved.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the drainage tank is provided with the water level indicator which can be seen through from the outside of the machine body, so that the amount of stored water can be easily grasped. be able to.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the water level indicating portion is formed by the horizontal reinforcing ribs arranged in the deformed portion of the drainage tank in the plane shape, the special water level indicating portion is formed. There is no need, and the configuration of the parts can be simplified.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, since the plurality of reinforcing ribs also serving as the water level display portion are arranged at equal intervals in the height direction, the user can further grasp the amount of stored water. Easier to do.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, since the uppermost reinforcing rib indicates that the drainage tank is full, the user can predict when the drainage tank will be full, and It can be convenient.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the bright pigment mixed in the resin material for the front cover uses glass flakes or lump flakes as a base material, and a metal or a metal oxide on the surface of the base material. Since it is coated, high reflection of visible light can be obtained on the surface of the bright pigment base material, and the bright feeling of the front cover becomes good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of an internal configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the top side.

FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram of the internal configuration of the air conditioner as seen from the front side.

FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of the air conditioner as viewed from the left side surface side.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the air conditioner.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the air conditioner with a front cover and an air filter removed.

FIG. 6 is a detailed configuration diagram of the ultraviolet lamp unit in the air conditioner viewed from the top side of the machine body.

FIG. 7 is a detailed configuration diagram of the ultraviolet lamp unit in the air conditioner viewed from the left side of the machine body.

FIG. 8 is a detailed configuration diagram of the ultraviolet lamp unit in the air conditioner as viewed from the inside of the machine body.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a substrate holder in the ultraviolet lamp unit.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a light emitting principle of a flat-plate ultraviolet lamp in the ultraviolet lamp unit.

FIG. 11 is a state diagram of the lamp mounting portion of the ultraviolet lamp unit immediately after resin molding.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a bending step of the lamp mounting portion.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a photocatalytic filter in the ultraviolet lamp unit.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the photocatalytic filter taken along line XIV-XIV.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a front cover of the ultraviolet lamp unit.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a drainage tank in the air conditioner.

FIG. 17 is a left side view of the drain tank.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the drainage tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 body case 10 UV lamp unit 10a Air passage (in UV lamp unit) 11 Front cover 11a opening 12 Intake port 12a air filter 13 Intake port 14 Intake port 15 air intake 17 Upper outlet 18 Lower outlet 20 Flat UV lamp 20a UV emitting surface 20b Visible light emitting surface 28 UV 29 visible light 80 lenses 81 Projection 82 recess 93 (uppermost) reinforcement rib 94 Reinforcing rib 95 Supply Rib

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Toshiro Kamizono             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Mori             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinichi Akiyama             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tomoji Fukuda             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3L050 BD05 BE00                 3L051 BC03 BG06 BJ10

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A machine main body of a machine body, comprising an ultraviolet lamp arranged near an inner surface of the main body case, and a front cover formed on a part of the main body case on the front side of the ultraviolet lamp, the front cover being a bright pigment. Is formed from a transparent or semi-transparent resin material, wherein the ultraviolet lamp is a flat ultraviolet lamp whose surface on the front cover side is a visible light emitting surface and whose inner surface is a ultraviolet light emitting surface. An air conditioner provided in a main body case such that an ultraviolet light emitting surface faces an in-machine air passage and visible light emitted from the visible light emitting surface is projected on the front cover. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the front cover is formed in a shape extending from the front surface side of the main body case to the side surface side of the main body case. 3. The front cover is such that the blending amount of the bright pigment contained in the portion constituting the front side of the main body case is greater than the blending amount of the bright pigment contained in the portion constituting the side face of the main body case. The air conditioner according to claim 2, which is a large number. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a lens is provided between the ultraviolet lamp and the front cover to laterally diffuse visible light. Harmony machine. 5. The lens is formed in a shape that curves inward from a center portion in the left-right direction toward the inside of the machine body,
The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the air conditioner is formed so that the thickness thereof becomes thinner toward the sides. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the inner surface of the machine body of the lens is rough. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the lens is made of polystyrene as a raw material. 8. The lens has a protrusion formed in a center portion in the left-right direction and extending linearly in the height direction of the machine body with a predetermined width, and the front cover has an opening for penetrating the protrusion. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising: 9. The air conditioner includes an evaporator that cools and dehumidifies the air sucked into the machine, and a drain tank that stores water dehumidified by the evaporator, and a part of the drain tank is a machine. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is exposed to the front surface and both left and right side surfaces in the front portion of the main body and is formed of a transparent or translucent material through which water level can be seen. 10. The front part of the machine body, a part of the drainage tank exposed on the front surface and the left and right side surfaces is formed to be continuous with the front cover,
The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the air conditioner is formed of a transparent or translucent material capable of seeing through the water level and containing a bright pigment. 11. The air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein the drainage tank is provided with a water level indicator that can be seen through from the outside of the machine body. 12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the water level display portion is formed by horizontal reinforcing ribs arranged in a deformed portion having a planar shape in the drain tank. 13. The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of the reinforcing ribs are arranged at equal intervals in the height direction. 14. The air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein the uppermost one of the reinforcing ribs indicates that the drain tank is full. 15. The air according to claim 1, wherein the bright pigment has glass flakes or block flakes as a base material, and a surface of the base material is coated with a metal or a metal oxide. Harmony machine.