JP2005038616A - Ion generating device, and electric apparatus equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ion generating device capable of efficiently increasing discharge amount of ion while restraining the amount of ozone generated, and to provide an electric apparatus equipped with the ion generating device. <P>SOLUTION: The ion generating device has a transformer 202 connected to an ion generating element 12, a diode bridge (203a to 203d) rectifying an alternating current voltage in full-wave, time constant circuits (204, 205) charged by the rectified voltage, and a rectifying element 206 of which the state of turned on / turned off is switched in accordance with the charging voltage of the time constant circuit. Ion is generated by driving the transformer 202 by the rectifying element 206. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ion generation device capable of improving the indoor environment by emitting ions to a space, and an electric device including the same. In addition, as an example corresponding to the above-mentioned electrical equipment, it is mainly in a closed space (inside a house, one room in a building, a hospital room or operating room, in a car, in an airplane, in a ship, in a warehouse, in a refrigerator, etc.) Examples include air conditioners, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, air purifiers, refrigerators, fan heaters, microwave ovens, washing / drying machines, vacuum cleaners, and sterilizers.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in a sealed room with little ventilation, such as an office or a meeting room, if there are many people in the room, air pollutants exhausted by breathing, cigarette smoke, dust, and other air pollutants increase. The negative ions, which have the effect of relaxing, decrease from the air. In particular, when tobacco smoke is present, the negative ions may be reduced to about 1/2 to 1/5 of the normal amount. Therefore, various ion generators have been commercially available in order to supply negative ions in the air.
[0003]
However, all of the conventional ion generators generate only negative ions by a direct current high voltage method. Therefore, in such an ion generator, negative ions can be replenished in the air, but airborne bacteria and the like in the air cannot be positively removed.
[0004]
In view of the above problems, the present inventors have conducted intensive studies, and as a result, H that is a positive ion in the air.⁺(H₂O)_mAnd negative ion O₂ ⁻(H₂O)_n(M and n are natural numbers) are generated in substantially the same amount to attach both ions to airborne bacteria in the air, and the active species hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) And / or hydroxyl radical (.OH) decomposing action, an invention relating to an ion generator capable of removing the floating bacteria was made (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0005]
The above-described invention has already been put into practical use by the applicant, and the practical machine includes an ion generator having a structure in which a discharge electrode is disposed on the outside and an induction electrode is disposed on the inside with a ceramic dielectric interposed therebetween, and There are air cleaners and air conditioners installed.
[0006]
FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional example of an ion generator. In the conventional ion generator, the output voltage of the AC power supply E1 is dropped by the resistor R1, then half-wave rectified by the diode D1, and applied to the capacitor C1. When the charging of the capacitor C1 progresses and the voltage at both ends reaches a predetermined threshold value, the semiconductor switch element S1 is turned on, and the charging voltage of the capacitor C1 is discharged. Accordingly, a current flows through the primary winding L1 of the transformer T1, energy is transmitted to the secondary winding L2, and a pulse voltage is applied to the discharge part X1. Immediately thereafter, the semiconductor switch element S1 is turned off and charging of the capacitor C1 is started again.
[0007]
By repeating the above charging and discharging, the AC impulse voltage shown in FIG. 13 is repeatedly applied to the discharge part X1. At this time, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the discharge part X1, the surrounding air is ionized, and positive ions are applied when positive voltage is applied.⁺(H₂O)_mO, which is a negative ion when a negative voltage is applied₂ ⁻(H₂O)_n(M and n are natural numbers). Therefore, both ions are attached to airborne bacteria and the like, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) And hydroxyl radical (.OH) can be decomposed to remove the floating bacteria.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2003-47651 A
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Certainly, the ion generator having the above configuration can positively remove airborne bacteria and the like, so that the indoor environment can be made more comfortable.
[0010]
However, the ion generating apparatus having the above-described configuration tends to neutralize and extinguish some of the generated positive ions and negative ions in the vicinity of the ion generating element, and the ions cannot be efficiently discharged into the room. It had the problem that.
[0011]
In order to increase the amount of ion emission into the room, the applied voltage to the ion generating element may be increased to increase the amount of ion generated itself, but after increasing the applied voltage to the extent that sufficient discharge is obtained, Even if the applied voltage is further increased, the ion generation amount becomes saturated and does not increase. Therefore, with the above configuration, the ion generation amount can be increased only to the upper limit determined by the electrode shape of the ion generation element. In addition, there was a limit to increasing the amount of ions released into the room.
[0012]
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an ion generator capable of efficiently increasing the amount of ion emission while having the same electrode shape, and an electric device including the ion generator. .
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, and an input AC voltage. A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a rectifying circuit for rectification, a time constant circuit formed by a capacitor and a resistor connected thereto, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned on / off according to a charging voltage of the time constant circuit. In the ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generation element by driving the transformer with the switching element, the input voltage of the high voltage impulse voltage generation circuit is full-wave rectified. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to theoretically double the discharge frequency in the ion generating element and increase the amount of ion emission compared to the configuration in which the AC voltage is half-wave rectified. .
[0014]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generating apparatus that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generating element, the resistance value of the time constant circuit or the capacitance of the capacitor is variable. By adopting such a configuration, the discharge frequency in the ion generating element can be increased from about 1.5 times to about 2 times, and the ion emission amount can be increased.
[0015]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generation element, the input voltage of the high voltage impulse voltage generation circuit is full-wave rectified, and the resistance value of the time constant circuit or the capacitance of the capacitor is set. The configuration is variable. By setting it as such a structure, the discharge frequency in an ion generating element can be made about 3 to 4 times, and the amount of ion discharge | release can be increased.
[0016]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generation element, a switching means is provided in series with the diode bridge that constitutes the high voltage impulse voltage generation circuit, or one diode in the diode bridge The switching means is provided in series. Note that the ion generator having the above-described configuration may be configured such that a capacitor is further provided in parallel with the capacitor, and switching means is provided in the capacitor. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately switch the discharge amount (that is, the ion emission amount) of the ion generating element with a simple configuration.
[0017]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generating apparatus that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generating element, the means for switching between the normal operation when the rectifier circuit is half-wave rectified and the ion increasing operation that performs full-wave rectification is performed. It is good to make it the structure which has. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately switch the discharge amount (that is, the ion emission amount) of the ion generating element.
[0018]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generating element, the time constant circuit performs charging / discharging at a predetermined constant, and charging / discharging at a value smaller than the predetermined constant. It is configured to have means for switching and executing the ion increase operation to be performed. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately switch the discharge frequency (that is, the amount of generated ions) of the ion generating element.
[0019]
An ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element having two electrodes opposed to each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, and this A high-voltage impulse voltage generating circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected to a semiconductor, and a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF in accordance with a charging voltage of the time constant circuit, wherein the switching transformer includes the switching element. In the ion generating apparatus that applies a high voltage impulse voltage to the ion generating element by driving at a normal operation for applying the impulse voltage to the ion generating element at a first time interval in which a predetermined amount of ions are generated, and the normal operation And switching to an increase operation in which an impulse voltage is applied to the ion generating element at a second time interval shorter than It is configured to have a means for the row. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately switch the discharge frequency (that is, the amount of generated ions) of the ion generating element.
[0020]
In addition, the ion generator which consists of the said structure has a sensor which acquires the information regarding ambient environment, and it is good to set it as the structure which switches the said normal operation and the said increase operation according to the acquisition information of this sensor. With such a configuration, it is possible to always keep the surrounding environment in an optimum state without depending on the user operation.
[0021]
Moreover, the ion generator which consists of the said structure has an input part which receives external operation, and it is good to set it as the structure which switches the said normal driving | operation and the increase operation | movement according to the predetermined operation to this input part. With such a configuration, it is possible to control the amount of ion emission according to user needs.
[0022]
In addition, the ion generating device having the above-described configuration may be mounted on an electric device such as an air conditioner, a dehumidifier, a humidifier, an air cleaner, a refrigerator, a fan heater, a microwave oven, a washing dryer, a vacuum cleaner, or a sterilizer. . With such an electric device, in addition to the original function of the device, it is possible to change the physical properties of the air by using the installed ion generator to bring the indoor environment into a desired atmosphere state.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an ion generator according to the present invention, and FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically show a plan view and a side view of the ion generator, respectively. .
[0024]
As shown in the figure, the ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an ion generating element 10 that generates ions, and a voltage applying circuit 20 that applies a predetermined voltage to the ion generating element 10. Become.
[0025]
The ion generating element 10 includes a dielectric 11 (upper dielectric 11a and lower dielectric 11b), and a discharge unit 12 (discharge electrode 12a, induction electrode 12b, discharge electrode contact 12c, induction electrode contact 12d, and connection terminals 12e and 12f. ) And the coating layer 13, and by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b, corona discharge is performed near the surface of the discharge electrode 12a (the acute angle portion of 12a). Then, positive ions and negative ions are generated from the discharge side.
[0026]
The dielectric 11 is formed by bonding an upper dielectric 11a and a lower dielectric 11b having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (for example, vertical 15 [mm] × horizontal 37 [mm] × thickness 0.9 [mm]). If an inorganic substance is selected as the material of the dielectric 11, ceramics such as high-purity alumina, crystallized glass, forsterite, and steatite can be used. In addition, if an organic material is selected as the material of the dielectric 11, a resin such as polyimide or glass epoxy having excellent oxidation resistance is suitable. However, in view of corrosion resistance, it is desirable to select an inorganic material as the material of the dielectric 11, and it is preferable to form using ceramic in view of formability and ease of electrode formation described later. .
[0027]
In addition, since it is desirable that the insulation resistance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b is uniform, the material of the dielectric 11 is more suitable as the material has less variation in density and the insulation rate is uniform.
[0028]
The shape of the dielectric 11 may be other than a substantially rectangular parallelepiped (such as a disk, an ellipse, or a polygon), and may be a cylinder, but considering productivity. As in the present embodiment, it is preferable to have a flat plate shape (including a disk shape and a rectangular parallelepiped shape).
[0029]
The discharge electrode 12a is formed integrally with the upper dielectric 11a on the surface of the upper dielectric 11a. Any material can be used for the electrode as long as it has conductivity, such as tungsten. However, it does not cause deformation such as melting due to discharge.
[0030]
As shown in the figure, the discharge electrode 12a of the present embodiment has a substantially square lattice portion (for example, length 7.0 [mm] × width 7.0 [mm], line width 0.5 [mm]). Is formed in a shape having a triangular electric field concentration portion with an acute angle inside the lattice portion, but the shape is not limited to this, and other shapes (planar, (Lattice, linear, etc.). However, if the shape is such that electric field concentration tends to occur, a discharge can be generated even when the voltage applied between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b is low. It is desirable to have a shape that easily causes electric field concentration.
[0031]
The induction electrode 12b is formed inside the dielectric 11 (between the upper dielectric 11a and the lower dielectric 11b). The induction electrode 12b of the present embodiment is formed in a U shape (for example, length 3.5 [mm] × width 23.5 [mm], line width 1.0 [mm]), and is a discharge electrode. It is provided at a position facing the electric field concentration portion 12a. As the material of the electrode, any material can be used without particular limitation as long as it has conductivity, like the discharge electrode 12a.
[0032]
The induction electrode 12b is provided in parallel with the discharge electrode 12a with the upper dielectric 11a interposed therebetween. With such an arrangement, the distance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b (hereinafter referred to as the interelectrode distance) can be made constant, so that the insulation resistance between the two electrodes can be made uniform to stabilize the discharge state. Thus, positive ions and negative ions can be suitably generated. When the dielectric 11 is cylindrical, the discharge electrode 12a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the induction electrode 12b is provided in an axial shape, whereby the distance between the electrodes can be made constant. That is, the shape of the induction electrode 12b is not limited as long as the electric field can be concentrated on the discharge electrode 12a.
[0033]
The discharge electrode contact 12c is electrically connected to a connection portion 12e on the same formation surface as the discharge electrode 12a. Therefore, if one end of a lead wire (for example, a copper wire or an aluminum wire) is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12c and the other end of the lead wire is connected to the voltage application circuit 20, the discharge electrode 12a and the voltage application circuit 20 are electrically connected. Can be conducted.
[0034]
The induction electrode contact 12d is electrically connected to a connection portion 12f on the same formation surface as the induction electrode 12b. Therefore, if one end of a lead wire (for example, copper wire or aluminum wire) is connected to the induction electrode contact 12d and the other end of the lead wire is connected to the voltage application circuit 20, the induction electrode 12b and the voltage application circuit 20 are electrically connected. Can be conducted.
[0035]
In this embodiment, the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b are both connected to the voltage application circuit 20. However, as another connection pattern, the discharge electrode 12a is grounded and only the induction electrode 12b is connected. A pattern for conducting the voltage application circuit 20 or a pattern for grounding the induction electrode 12b and conducting only the discharge electrode 12a to the voltage application circuit 20 is conceivable.
[0036]
The discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d may be provided on any surface of the dielectric 11 for ease of connection with the lead wire. However, since the discharge electrode contact 12c is a contact having the same potential as the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode contact 12d is a contact having the same potential as the induction electrode 12b, in order to obtain a stable discharge state, the induction The distance between the electrode 12b and the discharge electrode contact 12c, the distance between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode contact 12d, and the distance between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d may be provided at positions farther from the inter-electrode distance. desirable.
[0037]
Furthermore, all of the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d are desirably provided on a surface other than the surface of the dielectric 11 where the discharge electrode 12a is provided (hereinafter referred to as the upper surface of the dielectric 11). With such a configuration, unnecessary lead wires or the like are not provided on the upper surface of the dielectric 11, so that the air flow from the fan (not shown) is hardly disturbed, and the generated ions can be efficiently discharged into the room. This is because it becomes possible.
[0038]
In consideration of the above, in the ion generator 10 of the present embodiment, the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d are both surfaces facing the upper surface of the dielectric 11 (hereinafter referred to as the lower surface of the dielectric 11). ).
[0039]
In the ion generating element 10 of the present embodiment, the discharge electrode contact 12c and the connection portion 12e, and the induction electrode contact 12d and the connection portion 12f are all outside the facing region sandwiched between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b. Is formed. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to avoid discharge unevenness that occurs at the start of discharge and obtain a stable discharge state, so that it is possible to release a stable amount of ions immediately after the start of discharge.
[0040]
Next, a method for manufacturing the above-described ion generating element 10 will be described. First, a high-purity alumina sheet (for example, a thickness of 0.45 [mm]) is cut into a predetermined size (for example, a width of 15 [mm] × a length of 37 [mm]) to obtain two substantially identical sizes. An alumina substrate having a thickness is formed, and these are used as an upper dielectric 11a and a lower dielectric 11b. In addition, although the purity of an alumina sheet should just be 90 [%] or more, in this embodiment, the alumina sheet of purity 92 [%] is used.
[0041]
Next, the discharge electrode 12a and the connection portion 12e are formed integrally with the upper dielectric 11a by screen printing tungsten on the upper surface of the upper dielectric 11a. Further, by performing screen printing of tungsten on the upper surface of the lower dielectric 11b, the induction electrode 12b and the connecting portion 12f are formed integrally with the lower dielectric 11b, and on the lower surface of the lower dielectric 11b, the discharge electrode contact 12c and The induction electrode contact 12d is formed by screen printing.
[0042]
Further, an alumina coating layer 13 (for example, a film thickness of 0.02 [mm]) is formed on the surface of the upper dielectric 11a, and the discharge electrode 12a is insulatively coated. Then, after the upper surface of the upper dielectric 11a and the upper surface of the lower dielectric 11b are overlapped, pressure bonding and vacuuming are performed, and this is put into a furnace and fired in a non-oxidizing atmosphere of 1400 to 1600 [° C.]. With such a manufacturing method, the ion generating element 10 according to the present invention can be easily manufactured.
[0043]
Next, the configuration and operation of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described in detail. In order to generate positive ions and negative ions in the discharge unit 12, the voltage application circuit 20 generates positive and negative alternating voltages (in this embodiment) between the discharge electrode 12a and the induction electrode 12b constituting the discharge unit 12. AC impulse voltage).
[0044]
First, the first embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. As shown in this figure, the voltage application circuit 20a of this embodiment includes an input AC power supply 201, a switching transformer 202, diodes 203a to 203d, a resistor 204, a capacitor 205, and a semiconductor switching element 206 (silicon controlled rectification). It is a kind of element SCR [Silicon Control Rectifier], and hereinafter referred to as Sidac [product of Shindengen Electric Industry] 206).
[0045]
One end of the input AC power supply 201 is connected to the anode of the diode 203a and the cathode of the diode 203c, and the other end is connected to the cathode of the diode 203b and the anode of the diode 203d. The cathode of the diode 203 a and the cathode of the diode 203 d are connected to one end of the resistor 204. The other end of the resistor 204 is connected to one end of the primary winding L1 of the transformer 202 and one end of the capacitor 205, respectively. The other end of the primary winding L1 is connected to the anode of the Sidac 206. The cathode of the Sidac 206 is connected to the other end of the capacitor 205, and further connected to the anode of the diode 203b and the anode of the diode 203c. One end of the secondary winding L2 of the transformer 202 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12c of the discharge unit 12, and the other end is connected to the induction electrode contact 12d of the discharge unit 12.
[0046]
In the voltage application circuit 20a configured as described above, the voltage of the input AC power supply 201 is the product of the resistance value of the resistor 204 and the capacitance of the capacitor 205 after full-wave rectification by a diode bridge composed of the diodes 203a to 203d. When the capacitor 205 is charged for a time determined by the constant and the voltage across the voltage reaches a predetermined threshold, the Sidac 206 is turned on, and the capacitor 205 is charged by the current flowing through the primary winding L1 of the transformer 202. The energy is transmitted to the secondary winding L2, and a pulse voltage is applied to the discharge unit 12. Immediately after that, by exchanging energy between the discharge unit 12 and the secondary side of the transformer 202, a positive and negative free vibration waveform as shown in the waveform diagram of FIG. 3 is obtained, and on the primary side, the Sidac 206 is turned off. Charging of the capacitor 205 is started. In the circuit configuration of FIG. 2, substantially the same operation can be performed even if the arrangement of the capacitor 205 and the Sidac 206 is switched, and this is not a problem. Also included are similar circuits that perform similar operations.
[0047]
By repeating the above charging / discharging, the AC impulse voltage shown in FIG. 3 is applied between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d constituting the discharge unit 12. At this time, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the surface of the discharge part 12, and the surrounding air is ionized, and positive ions H⁺(H₂O)_mAnd negative ions O₂ ⁻(H₂O)_n(M and n are natural numbers) are generated in substantially equal amounts. Both of these ions surround floating bacteria such as molds and viruses floating in the air, and the floating bacteria can be inactivated by the action of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) of the active species generated at that time. It becomes possible.
[0048]
Thus, unlike the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 12, the voltage generation circuit 20a of the present embodiment is configured to perform full-wave rectification instead of half-wave rectification of the output voltage of the input AC power supply 201. With this configuration, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 3 and FIG. 13, the number of application of the AC impulse voltage can be doubled from the conventional level (for example, 120 [times / min] → 240 [times / Min)), and accordingly, the amount of ions generated in the discharge part 12 can be theoretically doubled.
[0049]
Actually, a wind was sent from the fan (not shown) toward the ion generating element 10, and the amount of positive ions and negative ions that reached an ion counter (not shown) of about 25 [cm] leeward was measured. Conventionally, positive ions and negative ions were measured at about 30 [10,000 / cc], whereas both ions were measured at about 50 [10,000 / cc] in this embodiment. That is, the amount of ions about 1.7 times that of the conventional case can be secured without increasing the applied voltage.
[0050]
Next, the second embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. As shown in the figure, the voltage application circuit 20b of the present embodiment includes an input AC power supply 211, a switching transformer 212, a diode 213, a variable resistor 214, a variable capacitor 215, and a Sidac 216. It consists of
[0051]
One end of the input AC power supply 211 is connected to the anode of the diode 213 via the resistor 214. The cathode of the diode 213 is connected to one end of the primary winding L1 of the transformer 212 and one end of the capacitor 215, respectively. (The resistor 214 and the diode 213 are operated in the same way even if their arrangements are reversed.) The other end of the primary winding L1 is connected to the anode of the Sidac 216. The cathode of Sidac 216 is connected to the other end of capacitor 215 and the other end of input AC power supply 211. One end of the secondary winding L2 of the transformer 212 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12c of the discharge unit 12, and the other end is connected to the induction electrode contact 12d of the discharge unit 12.
[0052]
As described above, the voltage application circuit 20b of the present embodiment makes the capacitance of the capacitor 215 variable, and by reducing the capacitance, the time constant determined by the resistance value of the resistor 213 and the capacitance of the capacitor 214 is reduced. The circuit configuration is such that the charging of 216 is accelerated and the voltage at both ends can quickly reach the specified ON voltage, and the number of ON times of the SIDAC 216 in the half power supply cycle can be increased. In the above time constant control, it is necessary to change the resistance value of the resistor 213 in some cases.
[0053]
With this configuration, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 5 and FIG. 13, the alternating current applied between the discharge electrode contact 12 c and the induction electrode contact 12 d constituting the discharge unit 12 as compared with the prior art. The number of times of applying the impulse voltage can be increased up to about 1.5 times (for example, 120 [times / min] → 180 [times / min]). Depending on the specifications of the ion generating electrode, ions generated in the discharge unit 12 The amount can theoretically be increased up to about 1.5 times. In the actual data, it was possible to secure an ion amount 1.3 to 1.4 times higher than the conventional one without increasing the applied voltage.
[0054]
Next, the third embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a third embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. As shown in this figure, the voltage application circuit 20c of this embodiment includes an input AC power supply 221, a switching transformer 222, diodes 223a to 223d, a variable resistor 224, a variable capacitor 225, and a Sidac 226. Have.
[0055]
As can be seen from the figure, the voltage application circuit 20c of the present embodiment is a combination of the voltage application circuits 20a and 20b of the first and second embodiments described above, and the output voltage of the AC power supply 221 is full-wave rectified. In addition, the capacitance of the capacitor 225 (and the resistance value of the resistor 224 if necessary) is variable. With such a configuration, the effects of both the first and second embodiments described above can be obtained, so that the amount of ions can be further increased. Specifically, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 7 and FIG. 13, the application of an AC impulse voltage applied between the discharge electrode contact 12 c and the induction electrode contact 12 d constituting the discharge unit 12 as compared with the conventional case. The number of times can be increased up to about 3 times (for example, 120 [times / min] → 360 [times / min]). Depending on the specifications of the ion generating electrode, the amount of ions generated in the discharge unit 12 is theoretically 3 It is thought that it can be increased to about twice.
[0056]
Next, the fourth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. As shown in the figure, the voltage application circuits 20d-1 and 20d-2 of the present embodiment include an input AC power supply 231, a switching transformer 232, diodes 233a to 233d, a resistor 234, a capacitor 235, and a Sidac 236. And a switching relay 237.
[0057]
One end of the input AC power source 231 is connected to the anode of the diode 233a and the cathode of the diode 233c, and the other end is connected to the common terminal 237a of the switching relay 237. The cathode of the diode 233a and the cathode of the diode 233d are connected to one end of the resistor 234. The other end of the resistor 234 is connected to one end of the primary winding L1 of the transformer 232 and one end of the capacitor 235, respectively. The other end of the primary winding L1 is connected to the anode of the Sidac 236. The cathode of the Sidac 236 is connected to the other end of the capacitor 235, and is connected to one selection terminal 237b of the switching relay 237 and each anode of the diodes 233b and 233c. The cathode of the diode 233b and the anode of the diode 233d are connected to each other, and the connection node is connected to the other selection terminal 237c of the switching relay 237. One end of the secondary winding L2 of the transformer 202 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12c of the discharge unit 12, and the other end is connected to the induction electrode contact 12d of the discharge unit 12.
[0058]
During normal operation, the selection terminal 237b is selected in the switching relay 237. At this time, the output voltage of the AC power supply 231 is half-wave rectified by the diode 233a, and then charged to the capacitor 235 for a time determined by a time constant that is the product of the resistance value of the resistor 234 and the capacitance of the capacitor 235. When the voltage reaches a predetermined threshold, the Sidac 236 is turned on, a current flows through the primary winding L1 of the transformer 232, energy charged in the capacitor 235 is transmitted to the secondary winding L2, and the discharge unit A pulse voltage is applied to 12. Immediately thereafter, Sidac 236 is turned off and charging of capacitor 235 is started again.
[0059]
By repeating the above charging / discharging, the AC impulse voltage (for example, the number of times of application: 120 [times / minute] between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d constituting the discharge unit 12 is shown in FIG. ]) Is applied. At this time, corona discharge occurs in the vicinity of the discharge unit 12 and the surrounding air is ionized, and the positive ions are H⁺(H₂O)_mAnd negative ion O₂ ⁻(H₂O)_n(M and n are natural numbers) are generated in substantially the same number. Both of these ions surround the airborne fungi and virus floating bacteria in the air, and inactivate the airborne bacteria by the action of the active species hydroxyl group radical (.OH). It becomes possible.
[0060]
In addition, as a result of measuring the amount of positive ions and negative ions that reached an ion counter (not shown) of about 25 [cm] leeward by sending wind toward the ion generating element 10 from a fan (not shown), In the ion counter, positive ions and negative ions were measured at about 30 [10,000 / cc].
[0061]
On the other hand, the selection terminal 237c is selected by the switching relay 237 during the increase operation of the voltage application circuit 20d. Therefore, the voltage of the AC power supply 231 is full-wave rectified by a diode bridge composed of the diodes 233a to 233d and then the resistance 234. The voltage is dropped and applied to the capacitor 235. Therefore, between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d constituting the discharge unit 12, as shown in FIG. 9B, the frequency is higher than that during normal operation (theoretically twice the frequency). Thus, an AC impulse voltage (for example, the number of application times: 240 [times / min]) is applied.
[0062]
At this time, as a result of measuring the amount of ions under the above-described conditions, the ion counter measured about 50 [10,000 / cc] each of positive ions and negative ions. That is, the amount of ions about 1.7 times that in the normal operation was measured.
[0063]
As in 20d-2, instead of the switching relay 237, a connection node between the cathode of the diode 233b and the anode of the diode 233d is connected to the other end of the AC power supply 231, and the anode or cathode of the diode 233c or the diode 233d is used. The same operation as described above can be realized by connecting the open / close switch 238 in series and controlling the open / close switch 238 according to the operation mode.
[0064]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20 will be described. FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. As shown in this figure, the voltage application circuit 20e of this embodiment includes an AC power supply 241, a switching transformer 242, a diode 243, a resistor 244, capacitors 245a and 245b, a Sidac 246, and an open / close switch 247. Have.
[0065]
One end of the input AC power supply 241 is connected to the anode of the diode 243 via the resistor 244. The cathode of the diode 243 is connected to one end of the primary winding L1 of the transformer 242 and one end of each of the capacitors 245a and 245b. The other end of the primary winding L1 is connected to the anode of the Sidac 246. The cathode of Sidac 246 is connected to the other end of AC power supply 241. The other end of the capacitor 245b is connected to the other end of the capacitor 245a via the open / close switch 247, and is connected to the cathode of the Sidac 246 and the other end of the input AC power source 241. One end of the secondary winding L2 of the transformer 242 is connected to the discharge electrode contact 12c of the discharge unit 12, and the other end is connected to the induction electrode contact 12d of the discharge unit 12.
[0066]
During normal operation, the open / close switch 247 is closed. At this time, the output voltage of the AC power supply 241 is half-wave rectified by the diode 243 and then charged to the capacitors 245a and 245b in a time determined by a time constant that is the product of the resistance value of the resistor 244 and the capacitances of the capacitors 245a and 245b. When the voltage between both ends reaches a predetermined threshold, the Sidac 246 is turned on, and a current flows through the primary winding L1 of the transformer 242, whereby the charged energy of the capacitors 245a and 245b is transmitted to the secondary winding L2. Then, a high voltage pulse voltage is applied to the discharge unit 12. Immediately thereafter, Sidac 246 is turned off, and charging of capacitors 245a and 245b is started again.
[0067]
By repeating the above charging / discharging, the AC impulse voltage (for example, the number of times of application: 120 [times] between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d constituting the discharge unit 12 is shown in FIG. / Min]) is applied. At this time, corona discharge is generated in the vicinity of the surface of the discharge part 12 and the surrounding air is ionized, and the positive ions are H⁺(H₂O)_mAnd negative ion O₂ ⁻(H₂O)_n(M and n are natural numbers) are generated in substantially equal amounts. Both of these ions surround floating bacteria such as fungi and viruses floating in the air, and inactivate the floating bacteria by the action of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) of active species generated at that time. It becomes possible.
[0068]
In addition, as a result of measuring the amount of positive ions and negative ions that reached an ion counter (not shown) of about 25 [cm] leeward by sending wind toward the ion generating element 10 from a fan (not shown), In the ion counter, positive ions and negative ions were measured at about 30 [10,000 / cc].
[0069]
On the other hand, during the increase operation of the voltage application circuit 20e, since the open / close switch 247 is opened, the time constant of the RC circuit is reduced, and the number of times the Sidac 246 is turned on in the half power cycle increases. Therefore, between the discharge electrode contact 12c and the induction electrode contact 12d, as shown in FIG. 11B, an AC impulse voltage (for example, the number of application times: about 1.5 times higher than that during normal operation). 180 [times / minute]) is applied.
[0070]
At this time, as a result of measuring the amount of ions under the above-mentioned conditions, the ion counter measured about 40 [10,000 / cc] each of positive ions and negative ions. That is, the ion amount 1.3 to 1.4 times that in the normal operation was measured.
[0071]
Note that the same operation as described above can be realized by using a variable capacitor instead of the capacitors 245a and 245b and the open / close switch 247 and controlling the capacitance value according to the operation mode. Further, when performing the above-described time constant switching control of the RC circuit, it may be configured such that the resistance value of the resistor 244 can be variably controlled if necessary.
[0072]
Moreover, if the ion generators of the fourth and fifth embodiments described above are combined, the effects of both configurations can be obtained, and therefore the amount of ions can be further increased. Specifically, it is considered that by performing the above increase operation, it is possible to realize an increase in ion amount up to about three times as compared with the normal operation.
[0073]
As described above, the voltage application circuits 20d and 20e according to the fourth and fifth embodiments perform a normal operation for applying a voltage to the ion generating element 10 so that a predetermined amount of ions are generated, and more than the normal operation. It is characterized by having means for switching and executing an increasing operation in which a voltage is applied to the ion generating element 10 so as to generate more ions than the predetermined amount by increasing the discharge frequency in the ion generating element 10. . With such a configuration, the discharge amount (that is, the ion emission amount) of the ion generating element 10 can be appropriately switched. In addition, about the operation mode switching control in 4th, 5th embodiment, the following control example can be considered.
[0074]
For example, an ion generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a sensor for obtaining information related to the surrounding environment (the amount of positive ions, the amount of negative ions, the amount of odorous components, the amount of suspended bacteria, the concentration of carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, etc.). The normal operation and the increase operation may be switched according to the acquired information. With such a configuration, it is possible to always keep the surrounding environment in an optimum state without depending on the user operation.
[0075]
The ion generator according to the present invention preferably has an input unit that receives an external operation, and is configured to switch between the normal operation and the increase operation in accordance with a predetermined operation to the input unit. With such a configuration, it is possible to control the amount of ion emission according to user needs. For example, if you want to quickly adjust the ion balance in the room, you can switch to increased operation, and if you want to adjust the ion balance in the room as quietly as possible, you can switch to normal operation with a lower discharge noise compared to increased operation. Just do it.
[0076]
In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to an ion generator that can inactivate airborne bacteria and the like in air by applying an alternating voltage to the discharge unit to generate positive ions and negative ions. Although the case has been described as an example, the application object of the present invention is not limited to this, and a negative voltage is applied to the discharge part to generate only negative ions, thereby enhancing the relaxation effect in the room. Naturally, the present invention can also be applied to an ion generator capable of performing the following.
[0077]
Moreover, when the ion generator of each said embodiment is mounted in electric equipments, such as an air conditioner, a dehumidifier, a humidifier, an air cleaner, a refrigerator, a fan heater, a microwave oven, a washing dryer, a cleaner, and a sterilizer. Good. With such an electric device, in addition to the original function of the device, it is possible to change the physical properties of the air by using the installed ion generator to bring the indoor environment into a desired atmosphere state.
[0078]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the ion generation apparatus according to the present invention and the electrical apparatus including the ion generation apparatus can efficiently increase the ion emission amount while suppressing an increase in the generation amount of ozone.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an ion generator according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of a voltage application circuit 20;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a waveform of a voltage applied to a discharge unit in the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of a voltage application circuit 20;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a waveform of a voltage applied to a discharge unit in the second embodiment.
6 is a circuit diagram showing a third embodiment of a voltage application circuit 20. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a waveform of a voltage applied to a discharge unit in the third embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20;
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a waveform of a voltage applied to a discharge unit in the fourth embodiment.
10 is a circuit diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the voltage application circuit 20. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a waveform of a voltage applied to a discharge part in the fifth embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional example of an ion generator.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a conventional example of a voltage waveform applied to a discharge unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Ion generator
11 Dielectric
11a Upper dielectric
11b Lower dielectric
12 1st, 2nd discharge part
12a Discharge electrode
12b induction electrode
12c Discharge electrode contact
12d induction electrode contact
12e, 12f connection
13 Coating layer
20 (20a to e) Voltage application circuit
201, 211, 221, 231, 241 Input AC power supply
202, 212, 222, 232, 242 switching transformer
L1 Primary winding
L2 secondary winding
203a to d, 213, 223a to d, 233a to d, 243 diode
204, 214, 224, 234, 244 resistance
205, 215, 225, 235, 245a-b capacitors
206, 216, 226, 236, 246 Semiconductor switching element
237 switching relay
237a Common terminal
237b to c selection terminals
238, 247 Open / close switch

Claims (14)

An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generator characterized by full-wave rectifying the input voltage of the high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generator characterized in that the capacitance of the capacitor is variable. The ion generator according to claim 2, wherein a resistance value of the time constant circuit is variable. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generator characterized by full-wave rectifying the input voltage of the high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit and making the capacitance of the capacitor variable. 5. The ion generator according to claim 4, wherein the input voltage of the high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit is full-wave rectified and the resistance value of the time constant circuit is variable. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generator comprising a switching means provided in series with a diode bridge constituting the high voltage impulse voltage generation circuit. 7. The ion generator according to claim 6, wherein a switching means is provided in series with one diode in a diode bridge constituting the high voltage impulse voltage generating circuit. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generator comprising a capacitor provided in parallel with the capacitor, and a switching means provided on the capacitor. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other with a dielectric interposed therebetween, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifying circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, An ion generator for applying a high voltage impulse voltage, wherein the ion generation amount is increased by full-wave rectification with respect to an ion generation amount when the rectifier circuit performs half-wave rectification. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
An ion generation apparatus characterized in that an ion generation amount is increased by switching to a value smaller than a predetermined constant with respect to an ion generation amount when the time constant circuit is a predetermined constant. An ion generating element having two electrodes facing each other across a dielectric, a switching transformer connected to the ion generating element, a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input AC voltage, a capacitor connected to the time constant circuit, and a resistor And a high-voltage impulse voltage generation circuit having a semiconductor switching element that is turned ON / OFF according to the charging voltage of the time constant circuit, and driving the switching transformer with the switching element, In an ion generator that applies a high voltage impulse voltage,
A normal operation in which an impulse voltage is applied to the ion generating element at a first time interval in which a predetermined amount of ions are generated; and an increasing operation in which an impulse voltage is applied to the ion generating element at a second time interval shorter than the normal operation; The ion generator characterized by switching. The ion generator according to claim 9, further comprising: a sensor that obtains information related to an ambient environment, wherein the normal operation and the increase operation are switched according to information acquired by the sensor. . The ion generation according to claim 9, further comprising an input unit that receives an external operation, wherein the normal operation and the increase operation are switched according to a predetermined operation to the input unit. apparatus. An electrical apparatus comprising the ion generator according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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