JP2006046732A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidifier capable of rapidly removing floating bacteria in a room with a compact depth. <P>SOLUTION: This dehumidifier comprises a blower 25 taking air in a room through an intake port 13 and blowing through outlet ports 29 and 30, an air cleaning filter unit 20 arranged in opposition to the intake port 13 to capture dusts in the air, a humidifying part 21 arranged between the filter unit 20 and the blower 25 to dehumidify the air, and an ion generation part 26 arranged between the blower 25 and the outlet ports 29 and 30 to simultaneously release positive ions and negative ions. The humidifying part 21 includes a tray 23 for collecting water provided in a lower part and a humidifying filter 22 dipped in the tray 23 and having a vertical air passage 22c. The air taken through the intake port 13 is carried from down to up in the air passage 22c. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a humidifier that sends out moisture contained in air taken in from a room, and particularly relates to a humidifier equipped with an ion generator that generates ions.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a humidifier that sprinkles water from above a humidifying filter and circulates air using a blower.

  Moreover, the air cleaner which sends out ion is disclosed by patent document 2. FIG. This air purifier has an intake port on the front surface of the housing and a blower outlet on the back surface. A blower is disposed in the housing, and a filter that collects dust is provided between the blower and the air inlet. Further, an ion generator that emits positive ions and negative ions is provided in the vicinity of the outlet.

  When the air blower is driven, the indoor air taken in from the air intake port is removed from the dust by the filter, and is sent out from the air outlet containing the ions released from the ion generator. Positive ions and negative ions surround and destroy airborne fungi and viruses.

Patent Document 3 discloses an apparatus for charging fine water having a particle size of 650 nm or less by collision with negative ions. According to this apparatus, ion particles having a particle diameter of 650 nm or less that can reach the human alveoli can be generated. Thereby, it is possible to obtain physiological effects similar to those in the state of being near a waterfall or the like by causing physiological actions such as removal of active oxygen harmful to the human body, blood pressure lowering, and mental uplift.
JP 2003-56873 A JP 2002-102327 A (pages 4 to 10 and FIG. 8) JP-A-11-265780

  However, according to the humidifying device disclosed in Patent Document 1, air passing through the humidifying filter is circulated in the horizontal direction. For this reason, if the contact area between the air and the humidifying filter is increased in order to obtain a sufficient amount of humidification, there is a problem that the depth direction of the humidifying device becomes large and the humidifying device becomes large. In addition, when the ion generator disclosed in Patent Document 2 is provided in a humidifier, it takes time to remove airborne bacteria in the room because ions sent into the room easily disappear when they come into contact with dust in the air. There was a problem.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying device that can quickly remove floating bacteria in a room and has a compact depth.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A blower that takes in indoor air from the air intake and sends it out from the air outlet;
A tray for storing water provided in a lower portion and a humidifying filter immersed in the tray and having an air passage in a vertical direction, and air taken in from the intake port faces the air passage from below to above A humidifying part containing water that has been distributed and evaporated by the humidifying filter;
An ion generator that emits ions;
It is characterized by having.

  According to this configuration, the air taken in from the intake port by driving the blower flows through the air passage provided in the humidification filter from the lower side to the upper side in the humidification unit and contains moisture, and the ion generation unit blows the air including ions. Sent from the exit. Positive ions and negative ions are surrounded by water molecules, become large particles, circulate in the room, and surround and destroy floating bacteria in the room. In addition, positive ions and negative ions protected by water molecules enter into fibers such as curtains and surround and destroy odor components in the fibers.

  According to the present invention, in the humidifier configured as described above, the intake port is provided on the front surface, and a ventilation panel having a ventilation port disposed on the front surface of the blower is provided, and air taken in from the front surface moves up and down the air passage. And flows into the vent hole. According to this structure, the air taken in from the intake port and circulated up and down in the air passage is sucked from the front side to the back side through the vent.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the humidifying device configured as described above, the arrangement of the vents is variable. According to this configuration, the amount of air that flows through the humidifying section and is guided to the vent is variable.

  According to the present invention, in the humidifying device having the above-described configuration, the humidifying filter is formed of a water absorbing material in which the lower end is immersed in the tray to absorb water and the air passage is formed in a honeycomb shape. According to this configuration, the water absorbing material sucks up the water in the tray and the air passing through the air passage is likely to contain moisture.

  Further, the present invention is the humidifying device having the above-described configuration, wherein the air passage is formed by folding the water-absorbing material in a folding screen shape and extending in the vertical direction, and the back surface of the water-absorbing material is shielded by the ventilation panel. It is said. According to this configuration, the water-absorbing material is bent in a folding screen shape having a zigzag wall surface when viewed from above. The indoor air flowing in from the front intake port is raised along each wall surface of the water absorbing material because the back surface of the water absorbing material is shielded, and is guided to the vent hole.

  Further, the present invention provides the humidifying device configured as described above, wherein an adhesive application position for adhering the water absorbing material through a predetermined gap to maintain the shape of the water absorbing material is inserted in the tray or the water absorbing material. It is arranged near the opening of the tray. According to this configuration, the zigzag wall surface of the water absorbing material is held in shape by the adhesive applied downward.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the humidifying device configured as described above, only a part of the vent hole is covered with the water absorbing material. According to this configuration, a part of the indoor air flowing in from the intake port passes through the humidifying part, and the remaining air is guided to the vent opening opened to the front without passing through the humidifying part.

  According to the present invention, since the air passage that circulates from below to above is provided in the humidifying filter, the depth of the humidifying device can be narrowed to achieve downsizing. In addition, since ions are contained in the humidified air, positive ions and negative ions are surrounded by water molecules and protected. For this reason, the disappearance of ions due to collision with indoor dust or contact with fibers is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently and quickly remove indoor floating bacteria and odor components in the fiber.

  Further, according to the present invention, since air taken in from the front flows up and down the air passage and flows into the vent, air containing moisture can be easily sent out from the outlet.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the arrangement of the vents is variable, the amount of air flowing through the humidifying section can be varied to easily adjust the humidification amount.

  Further, according to the present invention, the humidifying filter is composed of a water-absorbing material in which the lower end is immersed in the tray to absorb water and the air passage is formed in a honeycomb shape, so that the pressure loss is reduced and moisture is included in the air. be able to. Moreover, since the moisture by humidification does not increase remarkably, dew condensation in the air cleaner can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, the air passage is formed by folding the water absorbing material in a folding screen and extending in the vertical direction, and the rear surface of the water absorbing material is shielded by the ventilation panel. It rises along the wall and is humidified. Therefore, an air passage through which air flows up and down can be easily configured.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the application position of the adhesive that holds the shape of the water absorbing material by adhering the water absorbing material through a predetermined gap is arranged in the tray or near the opening of the tray into which the water absorbing material is inserted, An air passage extending in the vertical direction can be easily realized.

  Further, according to the present invention, since only a part of the vent is covered with the water absorbing material, it is possible to prevent an increase in pressure loss due to the provision of the humidifying portion.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a humidifier according to an embodiment. The humidifying device 1 has a main body 10 erected by the support of the base 11. The front surface of the main body 10 is covered with a front panel 12. The front panel 12 is provided with an air inlet 13 for taking in indoor air, and a side air inlet 14 is formed by a gap between the main body 10 and the front panel 12. An operation panel 15 for performing user operations is provided on the upper portion of the main body 10.

  FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the front panel 12 of the humidifying device 1 is removed. A blower 25 that intakes in the axial direction and exhausts in the circumferential direction is provided in the main body 10. The blower 25 is arranged with the intake side facing the intake port 13, and the front surface is covered with a ventilation panel 28 having a ventilation port 27. The ventilation panel 31 forms a ventilation path 31 extending vertically in the rear part of the main body 10. The ventilation path 31 is provided with an air outlet 29 that opens upward, and an air outlet 30 that is bent obliquely upward and opens forward. As a result, the exhaust air from the blower 25 is guided to the air outlets 29 and 30.

  An ion generator 26 is provided between the blower 25 and the outlet 29. As shown in FIG. 4, the ion generator 26 has an ion generator 110 (ion generator) that generates ions when a high voltage is applied.

  5 and 6 show a plan view and a side sectional view of the ion generating element 110, respectively. The ion generating element 110 includes a dielectric 111, first and second discharge parts 112 and 113, and a coating layer 114. The first and second discharge units 112 and 113 are connected to the voltage application circuit 120, and the first discharge unit 112 generates positive ions and the second discharge unit 113 generates negative ions. Thereby, the ion generator 26 of an ion independent generation system is comprised.

  The dielectric 111 is formed by bonding a substantially rectangular parallelepiped upper dielectric 111a and a lower dielectric 111b (for example, 15 [mm] in length × 37 [mm] in width × 0.45 [mm] in thickness). If an inorganic substance is selected as the material of the dielectric 111, ceramics such as high-purity alumina, crystallized glass, forsterite, and steatite can be used. Further, if an organic material is selected as the material of the dielectric 111, a resin such as polyimide or glass epoxy having excellent oxidation resistance is preferable. In view of corrosion resistance, it is desirable to select an inorganic material as the material of the dielectric 111, and further, it is preferable to mold using ceramic in terms of formability and ease of electrode formation.

  In addition, since it is desirable that the insulation resistance between the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a and the induction electrodes 112b and 113b, which will be described later, be uniform, the material of the dielectric 111 has little variation in density and the insulation rate is uniform. The more suitable it is.

  The first and second discharge portions 112 and 113 are arranged side by side so as to be orthogonal to the direction of air flow. Thereby, the airflow which passed on one discharge part does not pass on the other discharge part. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently and well-balanced ion emission by suppressing the attenuation of ions generated in the first and second discharge units 112 and 113 by utilizing the effect of the ion independent emission method.

  The first and second discharge parts 112 and 113 have discharge electrodes 112a and 113a and dielectric electrodes 112b and 113b arranged to face each other. The discharge electrodes 112a and 113a are integrally formed on the surface of the upper dielectric 111a. Any material can be used for the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a as long as it has conductivity. For example, like tungsten, it is desirable not to cause deformation such as melting by electric discharge.

  The discharge electrodes 112a and 113a have discharge portions 112j and 113j that cause a discharge by concentrating the electric field, conductive portions 112k and 113k surrounding the periphery, and connection terminal portions 112e and 113e. These are all on the same pattern, and the applied voltages are equal.

  The discharge portions 112j and 113j are formed with a plurality of needle-like patterns with sharp tips, and positive ions are generated by a positive potential and negative ions are generated by a negative potential. At this time, since the periphery of the discharge part 112j causing the discharge is surrounded by the conductive part 112k having the same potential, the positive ions generated from the discharge part 112j are repelled by the conductive part 112k having the positive potential. As a result, it is possible to prevent the positive ions from being captured and neutralized by the discharge site 113j having a reverse polarity and a negative potential.

  Similarly, since the periphery of the discharge part 113j that causes discharge is surrounded by the conductive part 113k having the same potential, negative ions generated from the discharge part 113j are repelled by the conductive part 113k having the negative potential. As a result, it is possible to prevent the negative ions from being captured and neutralized by the discharge portion 112j having a reverse polarity and a positive potential. Therefore, the efficiency of ion generation can be improved.

  The induction electrodes 112b and 113b are provided in parallel with the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a with the upper dielectric 111a interposed therebetween. With such an arrangement, the distance between the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a and the induction electrodes 112b and 113b (hereinafter referred to as “interelectrode distance”) can be made constant. Therefore, the insulation resistance between the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a and the induction electrodes 112b and 113b can be made uniform to stabilize the discharge state and generate ions favorably.

  When the dielectric 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the induction electrodes 112b and 113b are provided in an axial shape, thereby making the distance between the electrodes constant. Can do.

  As the material of the induction electrodes 112b and 113b, any material can be used without particular limitation as long as it has conductivity, like the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a. For example, like tungsten, it is desirable not to cause deformation such as melting by electric discharge.

  Discharge electrode contacts 112c and 113c and induction electrode contacts 112d and 113d are provided on the lower surface of the lower dielectric 111b. The discharge electrode contacts 112c and 113c are electrically connected to the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a via connection terminals 112e and 113e and connection paths 112g and 113g provided on the same surface as the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a. Therefore, when the discharge electrode contacts 112c and 113c are connected to the voltage application circuit 120 via lead wires made of copper wire, aluminum wire or the like, the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a and the voltage application circuit 120 can be electrically connected. .

  The induction electrode contacts 112d and 113d are electrically connected to the induction electrodes 112b and 113b via connection terminals 112f and 113f and connection paths 112h and 113h provided on the same surface as the induction electrodes 112b and 113b. Therefore, when the induction electrode contacts 112d and 113d are connected to the voltage application circuit 120 via a lead wire such as a conductive wire or an aluminum wire, the induction electrodes 112b and 113b and the voltage application circuit 120 can be electrically connected.

  The discharge electrode contacts 112c and 113c and the induction electrode contacts 112d and 113d are all preferably provided on the surface of the dielectric 111 other than the upper surface on which the discharge electrodes 112a and 113a are provided. With such a configuration, unnecessary lead wires or the like are not provided on the upper surface of the dielectric 111, so that the air flow from the blower 25 (see FIG. 2) is hardly disturbed, and the effect of the independent ion generation method is maximized. It can be demonstrated.

A voltage having an AC waveform or an impulse waveform is applied to the ion generating element 110 of the ion generator 26. When the applied voltage of the ion generating element 110 is a positive voltage, positive ions mainly composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n are generated, and when the applied voltage is negative, negative ions mainly composed of O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m are generated. appear. Here, n and m are integers. H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m aggregate on the surface of airborne bacteria and odor components and surround them.

Then, as shown in the formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are aggregated and formed on the surface of the microorganism or the like by collision. Destroy and sterilize airborne bacteria. Here, n ′ and m ′ are integers. Therefore, indoor sterilization and odor removal can be performed by generating positive ions and negative ions and sending them out from the air outlets 29 and 30.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m → OH + _1/2 O ₂ + (n + m) H ₂ O (1)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} → 2 · OH + O ₂ + (n + n ′ + m + m ′) H ₂ O (2)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} → H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (n + n ′ + m + m ′) H ₂ O (3)

  In addition, by disposing the ion generator 26 between the blower outlet 29 and the blower 25, the disappearance of ions due to the collision with the blower 25 can be prevented. In addition, an electrode for generating ions may be disposed in the ventilation path 31 and the power supply unit of the ion generator 26 may be disposed at another position.

  A humidity sensor 33 that detects the humidity in the vicinity of the ion generation element 110 is provided on the upstream side of the ion generator 26. As will be described in detail later, the blower 25 and the ion generator 26 are controlled based on the detection result of the humidity sensor 33.

  An air cleaning filter unit 20 and a humidifying unit 21 are disposed between the front panel 12 and the ventilation panel 28. The air cleaning filter unit 20 disposed facing the air inlet 13 (see FIG. 1) is designed to be incorporated into a humidifier. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the air cleaning filter unit 20.

  In the air cleaning filter unit 20, three types of filters, a pre-filter 52, a deodorizing filter 54, and a dust collection filter 55, are arranged in the frame 56 in order from the air suction side. A filter presser 53 is disposed between the prefilter 52 and the deodorizing filter 54.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the prefilter 52. The pre-filter 52 is formed by welding a polypropylene mesh 62 to a rectangular frame 61 having four stages and four rows of windows formed of synthetic resin such as ABS. Two projections 63 are provided on both sides of the frame 61, and a knob 64 is provided on the front. The pre-filter 52 can collect large dust in the intake air.

  9 and 10 show a perspective view and a side view of the deodorizing filter 54. The deodorizing filter 54 has a rectangular bag body 41 made of polypropylene fiber or polyester fiber. The bag body 41 is divided into a plurality of storage chambers 42 having a uniform size in the vertical direction. In each storage chamber 42, an adsorbent 68 (see FIG. 11) such as activated carbon is uniformly dispersed and packed. Thereby, each storage chamber 42 swells and the deodorizing filter 54 has irregularities on the surface. The number of storage chambers 42 is not particularly limited. As the adsorbent 68, activated carbon such as coconut palm, coal pitch, polyacrylonitrile, or cellulose can be used.

  FIG. 11 shows a side sectional view of the deodorizing filter 54. Each storage chamber 42 is formed by sewing the front surface side and the back surface side of the bag body 41 together. At this time, the stitches 67 are sewn so as to be inclined. When the deodorizing filter 54 is attached, the adsorbent 68 packed in each storage chamber 42 is lowered by its own weight, and a space portion 42 a is formed above each storage chamber 42. At this time, since the seam 67 is inclined, the adsorbent 68 is filled in the lower portion of the storage chamber 42 above each storage chamber 42.

  As a result, as shown by the arrow α, the air that has entered the deodorizing filter 54 always passes through and is released while in contact with the adsorbent 18, thereby improving the deodorizing effect. Moreover, it is only necessary to arrange the bags 41 in a single row, and the deodorizing filter 54 can be thinned.

  FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the dust collection filter 55. The dust collection filter 55 is composed of a HEPA filter, and a frame material (not shown) is welded by hot melt so as to cover the filter material (not shown). The filter medium is formed by superposing and folding an aggregate made of a polyester / vinylon nonwoven fabric and a melt blown nonwoven fabric. Tremicron (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc., which has been processed by electric stone as a melt blown nonwoven fabric, is used. In addition, an antibacterial sheet made of a non-woven fabric processed with hydroxyapatite is thermocompression-bonded on the surface of the filter medium. Fine dust is collected by the dust collection filter 55.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the filter holding frame 53 as viewed from the deodorizing filter 54 side. The filter holding frame 53 has a plurality of rows and a plurality of rows of square holes 65 that allow air to flow into a rectangular frame 64. The height of the square hole 65 is set according to the unevenness of the surface of the deodorizing filter 54.

  Further, on the surface facing the leeward side deodorizing filter 54, a bar-like projection 66 is provided between the square holes 65. The protrusion 66 has the same horizontal width as the filter pressing frame 53 and protrudes in the horizontal direction toward the deodorizing filter 54. The deodorizing filter 54 is pressed by the protrusion 66 to prevent the positional deviation. The protrusion 66 does not necessarily have a bar shape, and may be a protrusion such as a pin.

  FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the frame body 61. The frame 61 is composed of a box 71 having an open windward surface, and a square hole 72 through which air can flow in is formed by a lattice frame 73 on the leeward surface. The lattice frame 73 is for preventing the dust collection filter 55 from falling off. The thickness of the frame 61 is such that the dust collection filter 55, the deodorizing filter 54, the filter holding frame 53, and the prefilter 52 can be accommodated. Two locking holes 74 are provided on both side surfaces of the box 71. As shown in FIG. 15, the protrusion 63 of the pre-filter 52 is fitted in the locking hole 74, and the air cleaning filter unit 20 is integrally formed without the internal deodorizing filter 54 and the like falling off.

  In FIG. 2, a space 32 having a predetermined width is formed between the air cleaning filter unit 20 and the ventilation panel 28. By providing the space portion 32, the air that has passed through the air cleaning filter unit 20 flows smoothly into the vent hole 27, and pressure loss and noise can be reduced. The humidifying part 21 is disposed below the space part 32.

  FIG. 3 shows a front view of the air cleaning filter unit 20 in a detached state. The humidifying unit 21 includes a humidifying filter 22, a tray 23, and a water tank 24. The water tank 24 stores water for humidification, and is detachably installed on the side of the main body 10. The humidification filter 22 is closed on the back by a ventilation panel 28, and a part of the ventilation hole 27 is covered with a part of the humidification filter 22.

  FIG. 16 is a front view showing the humidifying unit 21. A joint 24a is formed at the lower end of the water tank 24, and a handle portion 24c is formed at the upper surface. The joint 24 a is connected to a water supply port 23 a provided at one end of the tray 23 disposed at the lower part of the main body 10. A water stop valve 24b is provided in the joint 24a. When the water tank 24 is mounted on the tray 23, the water pressure valve 23 d of the water supply port 23 a of the tray 23 opens the water stop valve 24 a, and the water in the water tank 24 is supplied to the tray 23. When the water tank 24 is removed, the water stop valve 24b is closed to prevent water leakage.

  The tray 23 is provided with an opening (not shown) at the rear of the upper surface, and a humidifying filter 22 held by a holding frame 22a is inserted therein. Thereby, the lower end of the humidification filter 22 is immersed in the water in the tray 23. Further, since the humidifying filter 22 is disposed on the front surface of the blower 25, the humidifying filter 22 can be easily cleaned or replaced by removing the air cleaning filter unit 20 and extracting the humidifying filter 22 from the opening. In addition, if the humidification part 21 is arrange | positioned in the front surface of the air blower 25, the humidification part 21 can be installed below. For this reason, it is possible to prevent electrical components from being damaged due to water leakage from the tray 23 or the water tank 24.

  FIGS. 17A and 17B are a top view and a front view showing the humidifying filter 22. The humidifying filter 22 is made of a water-absorbing material having water absorption, and is formed in a folding screen shape that is zigzag bent in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the humidification filter 22 sucks up the water in the tray 23 and retains it. Each wall surface of the humidifying filter 22 extending in the front-rear direction by bending is bonded with a predetermined gap by an adhesive 22b such as hot melt.

  The adhesive 22 b is provided so as to be disposed near the opening of the tray 23 or inside the tray 23 when the humidifying filter 22 is inserted into the tray 23. Thereby, a honeycomb-like air passage 22c is formed above the tray 23 in a plan view extending in the vertical direction between the respective wall surfaces of the humidifying filter 22, and the air inside the air passage 22c is directed upward from below. Move. By forming the air passage 22c in a honeycomb shape, an increase in pressure loss can be prevented.

  In the air conditioner 1 having the above configuration, indoor air is taken into the main body 10 from the air inlet 13 when the blower 25 is driven. The air taken in from the intake port 13 passes through the air cleaning filter unit 20 as shown by an arrow A (see FIG. 2), and dust is collected, and viruses and allergens are inactivated. The air that has passed through the air cleaning filter unit 20 flows into the ventilation path 31 through the vent hole 27.

  Further, the lower air that has passed through the air cleaning filter unit 20 collides with the humidifying filter 22, and the rear side is shielded, so that the water absorption material is bent along the folded wall surface as shown by the arrow B (see FIG. 2). The air passage 22c rises from below to above. At this time, the moisture retained in the humidification filter 22 is taken into the air flowing through the air passage 22 c, and the humidified air flows into the ventilation path 31 through the vent hole 27. In the air flowing through the ventilation path 31, ions released from the ion generator 26 and water molecules are mixed in the main body of the humidifier 1. As a result, the water molecules are sent out into the room from the outlets 29 and 30 of the main body in a state of surrounding the ions.

At this time, the state of the air on the ion emission surface of the ion generator 26 reaches the ion emission surface as water is mixed with the air that has passed through the humidifying filter 22. This air contains about 200 cm ³ / h of water when the air volume of the blower 25 is “strong” and contains about 50 cm ³ / h of water when the air volume is weak. As a result, the relative humidity is increased by 5 to 10% compared to the surrounding environment.

  In a normal operation state, when the humidity is 80% or more, condensation tends to occur on the surface of the ion generating element 110. Moreover, if the humidity near the ion generating element 110 is 80% or less, corona discharge can be performed satisfactorily. For this reason, when the humidity sensor 33 detects that the humidity in the vicinity of the ion generating element 110 exceeds 60%, the rotational speed of the blower 25 is decreased to reduce the humidity of the air flowing through the ventilation path 21. When the humidity in the vicinity of the ion generating element 110 becomes 60% or less, the rotational speed of the blower 25 is increased to increase the humidity of the air flowing through the ventilation path 21. Thereby, stable discharge can be performed and ions containing water molecules can be stably released. The humidity of the air flowing through the ventilation path 21 may be varied by detecting the amount of moisture in the vicinity of the ion generating element 110.

  Further, when humidification is performed by the humidifying unit 22 by driving the blower 25, the humidity is usually increased by 5 to 10% as described above as compared to before the operation is started. At this time, when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 33 rises over a predetermined amount (for example, 15%) within a predetermined time, the rotational speed of the blower 25 is decreased to suppress an increase in humidity. Thus, more stable discharge can be performed so that the humidity in the vicinity of the ion generating element 110 does not exceed 80% due to a sudden change in humidity.

  Further, a mode in which positive ions and negative ions are sent into the room and a mode in which only negative ions are sent into the room can be switched by operating the operation panel 15 (see FIG. 1). Thereby, positive ions and negative ions can be sent into the room to sterilize and remove odors from the floating bacteria floating in the room. Moreover, the mode can be switched and negative ions can be sent into the room to obtain a relaxation effect.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the periphery of the ions i sent out into the room is surrounded by water molecules h. At this time, when the humidification part 21 does not humidify the air, the particle diameter d is estimated to be 2 to 3 nm. However, when the humidification part 21 is humidified, the number of water molecules h increases and the particle diameter d is about It is estimated to be 18 nm. For this reason, the degree to which airborne fungi such as fungi and viruses in the air collide with ions i increases. Further, when the ions i collide with dust in the air, the ions i are protected by the water molecules h, and disappearance is reduced. Therefore, the floating bacteria in the room can be quickly removed.

FIG. 19 shows the result of measuring the residual rate of airborne bacteria when positive ions and negative ions are sent into the room. The vertical axis represents the residual rate of floating bacteria (unit:%), and the horizontal axis represents the driving time (unit: min) of the humidifier. The test was conducted at a high air flow (about 6.0 m ³ / h, humidification amount 200 cm ³ / h).

  The size of the room is 3m wide x 3.5m deep x 2.5m high. In the figure, R1 indicates a case where ions are not sent out. R2 shows a case where humidification by the humidifying unit 21 is not performed. R3 indicates a case where humidification by the humidifying unit 21 is performed. As is apparent from the figure, when humidification is performed by the humidifier 21, the floating bacteria in the room can be quickly removed.

  Similarly, when only negative ions are delivered into the room, the ions are similarly surrounded by moisture, and the disappearance of ions due to collision with dust is reduced. Therefore, the relaxation effect can be obtained efficiently and quickly.

FIG. 20 shows a result of measuring a residual rate of odor components by performing a deodorization test based on JEM1467 when positive ions and negative ions are sent indoors. The vertical axis represents the residual rate of odor components (unit:%), and the horizontal axis represents the driving time (unit: min) of the humidifier. The odor component consists of ammonia, acetic acid and acetaldehyde. The test was carried out with the air flow being strong (about 6.0 m ³ / h, humidification amount 200 cm ³ / h) with the air cleaning filter unit 20 removed.

  In the figure, S1 indicates the residual rate of odor components when air containing no moisture is sent, and S2 indicates the residual rate of odor components when air containing moisture is sent. According to the figure, the effect of reducing the total remaining rate by 15 to 18% in one hour after the start of the test was obtained compared to the case of air containing no moisture.

  Furthermore, when the ions i collide with fibers such as clothes, curtains, sofas, etc., the ions i are surrounded by the water molecules h, so that they are protected and the disappearance of the ions is reduced. Therefore, ions surrounded by water molecules enter deep inside the fiber, surround and destroy the attached odor component, and the odor can be removed quickly and efficiently.

As a result of carrying out a deodorization test with a test cloth at a point 1.5 m in front of the air outlet 30, the air volume of the device main body was made strong (about 6.0 m ³ / h, humidification amount 200 cm ³ / h). In the case of performing deodorization, the deodorizing effect was improved by 16% to 24% compared to the case of not performing humidification.

  In this embodiment, the humidification amount is adjusted by controlling the rotational speed of the blower 25. However, the humidification amount may be adjusted by changing the position of the vent 27 in the vertical direction. That is, when the ventilation panel 28 is provided with a stepping motor and the ventilation panel 28 is moved downward, the air that passes through the humidification filter 22 and is guided to the ventilation hole 27 increases. Further, when the ventilation panel 28 is moved upward, the air that passes through the humidification filter 22 and is guided to the ventilation hole 27 decreases. Thereby, the humidification amount can be adjusted.

  According to the present invention, it can be used for a humidifying device having a humidifying section and sending out air containing moisture and ions into the room, and also used for an air purifier or an air conditioner with a filter and a temperature control function added. can do.

The perspective view which shows the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the ion generator of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the ion generating element of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the ion generating element of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The disassembled perspective view which shows the filter unit for air purification of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the pre filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the deodorizing filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows the deodorizing filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the deodorizing filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the dust collection filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the filter holding frame of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the frame of the filter unit for air purification of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the combined state of the frame of the filter unit for air cleaning of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention, and a play filter. The front view which shows the humidification part of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The top view and front view which show the humidification filter of the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the state of the ion sent out by the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the residual rate of the floating microbe by the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the residual rate of the odor component by the humidification apparatus of embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Humidifier 10 Main body part 12 Front panel 13 Air inlet 14 Side air inlet 15 Operation panel 20 Air purifying filter unit 21 Humidifier 22 Humidifying filter 22b Adhesive 22c Air passage 23 Tray 24 Water tank 25 Blower 26 Ion generator 27 Ventilation Mouth 28 Ventilation panel 29, 30 Air outlet 31 Ventilation path 32 Space 33 Humidity sensor 52 Prefilter 53 Filter retainer frame 54 Deodorization filter 55 Dust collection filter 110 Ion generation element

Claims (7)

A blower that takes in indoor air from the air intake and sends it out from the air outlet;
A tray for storing water provided in a lower portion and a humidifying filter immersed in the tray and having an air passage in a vertical direction, and air taken in from the intake port faces the air passage from below to above A humidifying part that circulates and evaporates with the humidifying filter;
An ion generator that emits ions;
A humidifying device comprising:   The air intake panel is provided on the front surface, and a ventilation panel having a ventilation port disposed on the front surface of the blower is provided, and air taken in from the front surface flows through the air passage up and down and flows into the ventilation port. The humidifying device according to claim 1.   The humidifying device according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement of the vents is variable.   The said humidification filter consists of a water absorbing material in which the lower end is immersed in the said tray and a water is absorbed, and the said air passage is formed in a honeycomb form. Humidifier.   5. The air passage according to claim 3, wherein the air passage is formed by folding the water-absorbing material in a folding screen and extending in a vertical direction, and the back surface of the water-absorbing material is shielded by the ventilation panel. Humidifier.   An adhesive application position for adhering the water-absorbing material through a predetermined gap to maintain the shape of the water-absorbing material is disposed in the tray or in the vicinity of the opening of the tray into which the water-absorbing material is inserted. The humidifying device according to claim 5.   The humidifier according to claim 5 or 6, wherein only a part of the vent is covered with the water absorbing material.

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