JP2005027709A - Air purification apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin and compact air purification apparatus with very high air purifying efficiency wherein a filter can be changed easily. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus comprises a purification filter 41 made of a cylindrical and gas-permeable filter 42 with apertures at both ends which is attached with photocatalyst layers 43 at both the outside and the inside, light sources 51 which irradiate the apertures of the purification filer 41 with ultraviolet rays, and fans 61 which blows the air to be purified through the purification filter 41 in a traverse direction, wherein the light sources 51 are disposed to face the apertures at the both ends of the purification filter 41. The air passes from the outside to the inside of the purification filter 41 and is always purified by a photocatalytic reaction when passing from the inside to the outside. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air purification device that purifies air.
When a photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, a hydroxyl radical having a very strong oxidizing power is generated, and this hydroxyl radical breaks and decomposes the molecular bond of harmful substances, which is called photocatalytic action. The present invention relates to an air purification device that purifies air by decomposing organic substances contained in air using photocatalysis.
[Prior art]
[0002]
Conventionally, an air purifier that combines a cylindrical filter with a photocatalyst attached to the surface and a light source, irradiates the cylindrical filter with ultraviolet light, decomposes harmful organic substances contained in the air by the photocatalytic action, and purifies the air. There exists an apparatus (for example, refer patent documents 1-3).
In Patent Document 1, a cylindrical filter is used, a light source is contained in the filter, and air flows in the axial direction of the cylindrical filter.
In Patent Document 2, a light source is contained inside a cylindrical filter, and air flows in the axial direction of the cylindrical filter.
In Patent Document 3, a light source is placed inside a filter.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-1-139139 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-11-114048 [Patent Document 3]
JP 2002-263175 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional air purification apparatus has the following problems (i) to (iii).
(I) Since the light irradiation range is limited to the inside of the cylindrical filter, the outside of the filter cannot be used for air purification.
(Ii) When air is flowed in the axial direction of the cylindrical filter, the amount of air that cannot be brought into contact with the filter surface is quantitatively greater than the air that can be brought into contact with it, so that the air purification efficiency cannot be increased.
(Iii) Since the ultraviolet ray tube is arranged inside the cylindrical filter, there is a risk of breaking the ultraviolet ray tube when the tubular filter is exchanged. For this reason, the filter cannot be replaced by the user himself.
[0005]
In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an air purification device that has a very high air purification rate, can easily replace a filter, and can reduce the thickness and size of the device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The air purification device according to claim 1 is an air purification device that purifies air, is a cylindrical shape having an open end, and a purification filter in which a photocatalyst layer is attached to a surface of a breathable filter, It is characterized by comprising a light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays toward the end opening of the purification filter, and a blowing means for flowing air to be purified in a direction crossing the cylinder with respect to the purification filter.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the purification filter has openings at both ends thereof, and a pair of light sources are disposed toward the openings at both ends.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the purification filter is characterized in that a photocatalyst layer is attached to both front and back surfaces of the breathable filter.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the air purification device according to the second aspect, wherein a filter chamber in which the purification filter is accommodated is provided between the pair of light sources, and both side walls facing the light source in the filter chamber are provided. The light transmission plate is configured to transmit ultraviolet rays.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the fourth aspect, a plurality of the purification filters are housed in the filter chamber, and the purification filters are stacked so that the longitudinal directions thereof are parallel to each other.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the filter chamber contains a large-diameter purification filter having a large diameter and a small-diameter purification filter having a small diameter. And
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007]
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air purification device 1 of the present embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the air purification apparatus 1 is incorporated in the cube-shaped box, and the pre-processing division 10, the purification | cleaning division 20, and the ventilation division 60 are provided toward the upper direction from the downward direction. The purification section 20 includes a central filter chamber 40 and light source chambers 50, 50 on both sides.
[0008]
An air intake 12 for taking in air is formed on the bottom surface of the pretreatment section 10, and an air inlet 13 is formed between the pretreatment section 10 and the purification section 20. For this reason, when air is sucked in the air blowing section 60 described later, air can be taken in from the lower air inlet 12 and sent to the purification section 20 from the air inlet 13. A prefilter 14 is provided inside the pretreatment section 10.
If this prefilter 14 is provided, if house dust such as large dust, dust, and pet hair is adsorbed, the house dust and the like can be removed from the air. Can be improved.
[0009]
The box assembly structure of the purification section 20 is such that a back plate 32 is attached to the case body 31. In the case body 31, a pair of left and right light transmission plates 53 and 53 are disposed in parallel with the side surface of the case body 31. A portion surrounded by the pair of light transmission plates 53 and 53, the case main body 31 and the back plate 32 constitutes a filter chamber 40, and a pair of left and right light source chambers 50 and 50 are formed on both sides thereof.
[0010]
A plurality of purification filters 41 are accommodated in the filter chamber 40. That is, the purification filter 41 with a large diameter and the purification filter 41 with a small diameter are combined and accommodated. Each purification filter 41 is disposed horizontally.
As described above, when air is sucked from below and flowed upward, it tries to pass across a cylindrical filter arranged horizontally. In this case, since the entire amount of air always passes through the filter, it is possible to prevent unpurified air from passing through. Moreover, since the flow of air can be changed when passing through the purification filters having different diameters, the number of times that the air contacts the purification filter 41 can be increased, and the contact time can be extended. Therefore, the air purification efficiency can be increased.
[0011]
Further, the purification filter 41 can be inserted into the filter chamber 40 and the purification filter 41 can be removed simply by attaching or removing the back plate 32, so that the filter can be removed easily. it can. Therefore, the user can replace the filter.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 4, the purification filter 41 is formed by forming a photocatalyst layer 43 on the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical filter 42 having air permeability. The photocatalytic layer 43 generates hydroxy radicals (.0H) having a very strong oxidizing power by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays. This droxy radical breaks the molecular bonds of harmful organic substances contained in the air, and the organic substances can be decomposed into harmless water and carbon dioxide.
As the filter 42, for example, a paper filter is used, but any filter that allows air to pass therethrough may be used. Both ends of the filter 42 are open, and the open ends are formed vertically. For this reason, the purification filter 41 can be made independent within the filter chamber 40 without any special support material. The shape of the purification filter 41 is not limited to a cylinder but may be a polygonal cylinder such as a square cylinder or a triangular cylinder.
[0013]
The photocatalyst layer 43 is formed in a layered manner on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the filter 42 by applying a photocatalyst material such as titanium dioxide.
Note that the photocatalyst layer 43 may be formed only on the inner side or only on the outer side of the breathable filter 42.
When the photocatalyst layer 43 is formed on both the inside and outside of the air-permeable filter 42, the air contacts the photocatalyst layer 43 twice when the air enters from the outside to the inside, and when the air exits from the inside to the outside, the photocatalyst layer 43 Since the photocatalytic action can be expressed four times per filter, the air can be purified efficiently.
[0014]
A light source 51 is disposed in the light source chambers 50 on the left and right sides of the filter chamber 40.
As the light source 51, an elongated ultraviolet lamp is used, which is arranged vertically. The light source 51 may be a plurality of ultraviolet lamps arranged in a line. With the light source 51 arranged vertically in this way, light can be emitted from the opening end to the inside and outside of the horizontally arranged cylindrical filter, so that the photocatalytic action is sufficiently exerted. be able to.
A reflection plate 52 having a U-shaped cross section is installed outside the light source 51. The light from the light source 51 is efficiently irradiated to the filter 42 side by the reflecting plate 52.
If the photocatalytic action can be sufficiently exhibited, the light source chamber 50 or the light source 51 may be disposed not only on the left and right sides but also on either the left or right side. In this case, the opening of the purification filter 40 may be only on one side.
If the light transmission plate 53 that partitions the light source chamber 50 and the filter chamber 40 is smoothed, a gap can be eliminated between the light transmission plate 53 and the vertical end face of the purification filter 41. In this case, since air leakage does not occur, the purification efficiency can be improved.
[0015]
Fans 61, 61 are provided on the left and right sides of the air blowing section 60 provided at the upper portion of the purification section 20. When the fan 61 is driven, air can be taken in from the lowermost air intake port 12, and this air can be sent out to the upper delivery port 62 through the inside of the filter chamber 40. That is, the fan 61 can purify the air by flowing air from below to above.
[0016]
Next, effects of the air purification device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, the entire amount of air can be brought into contact with the photocatalyst layers 43 on the inner and outer surfaces of the filter 42 by flowing air from the direction crossing the cylinder to the cylindrical purification filter 41. For this reason, the amount of air that passes through without contacting the photocatalyst layer 43 is very small of the total amount of air, so that the air purification rate can be greatly increased.
Further, since ultraviolet rays can be irradiated from the openings on both sides of the cylindrical filter 42, the amount of UV irradiation can be increased, the photocatalytic action can be increased, and the photocatalyst layers 43 are provided on both the front and back surfaces of the filter 42. Since the ultraviolet irradiation is possible, the photocatalytic efficiency of the purification filter can be increased.
Furthermore, since the photocatalyst layer 43 on the outer surface of the filter can be used when air enters from the outside to the inside of the purification filter 41, and the photocatalyst layer 43 on the inner surface of the filter can be used when going out from the inside to the outside, the air is passed into the photocatalyst layer 43 four times. Can be contacted. For this reason, air can be purified efficiently.
[0017]
Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the above-described embodiment, the air flows in a direction crossing the cylinder of the purification filter 41. However, the crossing direction is not limited to the direction perpendicular to the cylinder, and the direction in which the air can pass even if it strikes diagonally. Is included.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the ventilation division 60 was placed in the upper stage, this may be placed in the lower stage of the pre-processing division 10, and you may make it air the air which should be purified face upwards. Furthermore, an apparatus for purifying by flowing air not only vertically but also horizontally or obliquely is also included in the present invention.
[0018]
The present invention can be used for home use and business use for purifying air, and can be used in any place or industrial field.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the light source irradiates the end opening of the purification filter, the photocatalytic action can be expressed not only inside the filter but also on the outer surface, and the purification efficiency of air is increased. Moreover, since air can be made to contact the photocatalyst layer of the filter surface by flowing air in the direction which crosses a cylindrical filter cylinder, the purification | cleaning rate of air can be raised.
According to the invention of claim 2, since the ultraviolet rays can be irradiated from the openings at both ends of the cylindrical filter, the amount of ultraviolet rays can be increased, the photocatalytic action can be enhanced, and the photocatalyst layers are provided on both the front and back surfaces of the filter. In such a case, air can be efficiently purified because the photocatalytic action can be exhibited on both the inside and outside of the filter.
According to the invention of claim 3, since the photocatalyst layer on the outer surface of the filter can be used when air enters the inside from the outside of the purification filter, and the photocatalyst layer on the inner surface of the filter can be used when going out from the inside, the air can be used many times. The photocatalyst layer can be contacted. For this reason, air can be purified efficiently.
According to the invention of claim 4, the opening of the purification filter is sealed with the light transmission plate, the purification filter can be accommodated in the filter chamber, and the ultraviolet ray irradiated from the light source can be irradiated to the photocatalyst layer of the purification filter. it can. For this reason, air can be passed through the purification filter without leaking, and the air can be purified efficiently.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the plurality of purification filters are stacked in multiple stages in the direction perpendicular to the ventilation direction, the number of times air passes through the filter portion can be increased, and the air purification rate can be increased. Can be increased.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to accommodate as many purification filters as possible in a certain space by combining a large-diameter purification filter having a different diameter and a small-diameter purification filter in the filter chamber. And since the flow of the passing air can be changed, the frequency | count of contact of air can be increased and purification efficiency can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air purification device 1 of the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.
4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a purification filter 41. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air purification apparatus 10 Pre-processing division 20 Purification division 40 Filter chamber 41 Purification filter 42 Breathable filter 43 Photocatalyst layer 51 Light source 53 Light transmission plate 60 Blowing division

Claims (6)

An air purification device for purifying air,
A purification filter in which a photocatalyst layer is attached to the surface of a filter having a cylindrical shape with an open end, and air permeability;
A light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays toward the end opening of the purification filter;
An air purification apparatus comprising air blowing means for flowing air to be purified in a direction across the cylinder with respect to the purification filter. The air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the purification filter has openings at both ends thereof, and a pair of light sources are disposed toward the openings at both ends. The purification filter is
The air purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a photocatalyst layer is attached to both front and back surfaces of the breathable filter. A filter chamber in which the purification filter is stored is provided between the pair of light sources;
3. The air purifier according to claim 2, wherein both side walls facing the light source in the filter chamber are constituted by light transmitting plates that transmit ultraviolet rays. The air purification device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the purification filters are housed in the filter chamber and are stacked so that the longitudinal directions of the purification filters are parallel to each other. In the filter chamber,
A large diameter purification filter with a large diameter,
6. The air purifier according to claim 5, wherein the air purifier is housed in combination with a small-diameter purification filter having a small diameter.

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