JP2008036494A - Air purification apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air purification apparatus which is capable of immediately evaluating the degree of contamination of air when the operation is reopened immediately after the shut-down of the operation while controlling unnecessary power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: The air purification apparatus is provided with an odor sensor 44 which is a semi-conductor gas sensor to detect the contamination degree of air and a control part 40 to obtain the detected value from the odor sensor 44 and to evaluate the contamination degree. After that, the electric conductance to the sensor 44 is continued (step S5-15) until a predetermined time elapses. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air purifier that purifies indoor air.

  Indoor air contains various substances that are uncomfortable or harmful to the human body, such as dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and exhaled air. Particularly in recent years, since the houses are airtight, such harmful substances are likely to stay in the room. For this reason, natural ventilation has been provided by opening windows in rooms as appropriate. However, it is the actual situation that natural ventilation cannot be performed as desired in areas where air pollution is severe, or in homes and workplaces where people suffer from hay fever. Under such circumstances, air purifiers having an air purifying function for purifying indoor air have been widely spread.

  Generally, an air filter has an air filter attached to the front surface of a main body, and an air passage in which a blower is arranged in the path is formed inside the main body. The air passage extends from the opening on the front of the main body to the outlet at the top of the main body. According to the rotation of the blower, such an air purifier sucks indoor air, which is external air, into the air passage through the air filter, and blows the sucked air into the external room from the outlet. At that time, harmful substances contained in the air are removed by being collected, adsorbed or decomposed by the air filter, thereby purifying the air.

  The air purifier also includes a semiconductor gas sensor that detects the degree of air contamination. The detected value from the semiconductor gas sensor is mainly used for adjusting the air volume of the air in the operation in the air volume automatic mode, that is, the rotation speed of the blower. In the operation in the normal air volume automatic mode, if it is determined that the air is dirty based on the detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor, the rotational speed of the blower is increased, thereby increasing the ability to purify the air. If it is determined that the air has become clean, the rotational speed of the blower is reduced in consideration of noise and power consumption.

  Here, the semiconductor gas sensor utilizes the fact that the resistance value changes when gas is adsorbed on the sensor surface made of a metal oxide semiconductor, and the sensor surface is heated to a temperature suitable for gas detection by a built-in heater. The Therefore, after the operation of the air purifier is started, energization of the semiconductor gas sensor is started simultaneously with the start of operation and heating by the heater is started, but the intention to wait for stabilization of the detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor is started. Therefore, the detection by the semiconductor gas sensor is not executed until about 2 minutes have elapsed from 30 seconds after the start of energization. In other words, the degree of air contamination cannot be determined immediately after the start of the operation of the air cleaner.

For such inconvenience, in the conventional air cleaner, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, every time about 10 minutes elapses when the operation is stopped. Repeated intermittent energization to the semiconductor gas sensor. Except for the intermittent energization time, energization of the semiconductor gas sensor is stopped from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption.
JP 2001-91018 A

  However, in the above-described conventional air purifier, the energization of the semiconductor gas sensor during operation stop is repeated endlessly even if it is intermittent energization. Therefore, if the operation stop time is prolonged, unnecessary power is generated accordingly. It will be consumed. Moreover, immediately after the operation is stopped, the semiconductor gas sensor is not energized. Therefore, when the operation is resumed during that time, the degree of air contamination cannot be immediately determined.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is an air purifier that can immediately determine the degree of air contamination when operation is resumed immediately after operation stop while suppressing unnecessary power consumption. Is intended to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, an air cleaner according to the present invention is an air cleaner that sucks and purifies external air through an air filter in accordance with the rotation of a blower in an air passage, and blows out the purified air to the outside. A semiconductor gas sensor that detects the degree of air contamination, and a control unit that obtains a detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor and determines the degree of air contamination. When the operation is stopped, a predetermined time elapses thereafter. The semiconductor gas sensor is continuously energized until.

  With such a configuration, when the operation is resumed immediately after the operation is stopped, such as within a predetermined time after the operation is stopped, the sensor surface of the semiconductor gas sensor is already at a temperature suitable for detection. The degree of dirt can be judged. In addition, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the stop of operation, since the power supply to the semiconductor gas sensor is stopped, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed.

  According to the air cleaner of the present invention, it is possible to immediately determine the degree of air contamination when the operation is resumed immediately after the operation is stopped while suppressing unnecessary power consumption.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the air cleaner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, the air purifier is an air purifier with a humidifying function, and further has an ion releasing function as an example. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an appearance of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are sectional views showing the internal structure of the air cleaner in a side view. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the movable plate closes the second air passage, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the ventilation path 2 is opened.

  The air purifier 1 according to the present embodiment is placed on a floor or hung on a wall at a suitable place in the room during operation. In general, an outer shell is constituted by the main body 2 and the front panel 3. . The main body 2 has an outer shape as a generally flat box standing vertically as a whole, and an air filter housing portion that is greatly recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed on the front surface thereof. In this air filter housing portion, the deodorizing filter 4 and the dust collecting filter 5 are housed in an overlapped manner as an air filter in order from the opening on the front side.

  The deodorizing filter 4 has a non-woven fabric made of polyester attached to a rectangular frame, activated carbon is uniformly distributed on the non-woven fabric, and a non-woven fabric made of polyester is further covered thereon. The deodorizing filter 4 serves to adsorb acetaldehyde, ammonia, acetic acid and the like which are odor components in the air. On the other hand, the dust collection filter 5 is a so-called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, which is made of a polyester / vinylon non-woven fabric aggregate and a melt blown non-woven fabric that has been processed by electrolithography. An antibacterial sheet made of a non-woven fabric processed with hydroxyapatite is stacked on the lower surface and thermocompression bonded, and a frame made of a non-woven fabric with hot melt is welded. The dust collection filter 5 plays a role of collecting fine dust.

  The deodorizing filter 4 and the dust collection filter 5 housed in the air filter housing part are prevented from falling out of the air filter housing part by the filter pressing frame 6 attached to the opening of the air filter housing part. The filter holding frame 6 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a large number of ventilation holes are formed in a matrix.

  The front panel 3 is attached with a predetermined gap to the front of the main body 2 in which the deodorizing filter 4 and the dust collecting filter 5 are housed and the filter holding frame 6 is mounted, and the deodorizing filter 4 and the dust collecting filter 5 are attached to each other. Including the filter presser frame 6 completely. Here, the front panel 3 is supported by hooking a hook (not shown) bent toward the main body 2 from the upper portion of the main body 2, and the lower portions on both the left and right sides are fixed by the locking portions 7. The The gap between the back surface of the front panel 3 and the front surface of the main body 2 is open to the outside on the left and right sides, and external air is introduced from here.

  In the main body 2, the blower 8 is disposed behind the air filter housing portion with the partition wall 21 interposed therebetween. The blower 8 here includes a fan motor 9 and a fan 10, the front side thereof is isolated by the partition wall 21, the lower side thereof is isolated by the partition wall 22, and the back side thereof is isolated by the partition wall 23. Among these, the fan motor 9 is fixed to the partition 21 on the front side, and a large number of ventilation holes communicating with the blower 8 are formed in the partition 23 on the back side. Although the turbo fan is employ | adopted as the fan 10, the kind of fan is not limited to this. A propeller fan or a cross flow fan can be used. In the case of a turbo fan, a device is devised to increase the thickness compared to the fan diameter and reduce the noise level. As the fan motor 9, it is preferable to employ a direct current motor in consideration of ease of control.

  Further, the main body 2 is formed with a first air outlet 11 that opens upward and a second air outlet 12 that opens upward in the upper portion corresponding to the upper side of the blower 8, and the power on / off An operation / display unit 13 is provided that includes operation buttons for turning off and setting operation and a display lamp for displaying the operation state.

  In accordance with the driving of the blower 8, that is, the rotation of the fan 10 by the fan motor 9, indoor air that is external air is introduced from the gap between the front panel 3 and the main body 2. The introduced air reaches the air filter through the vent of the filter holding frame 6 and is purified by the deodorizing filter 4 and the dust collecting filter 5 into air having no odor or dust. The purified air reaches the back wall 25 of the main body 2 through the opening 24 formed in the lower part of the partition wall 21 at the back of the air filter housing portion, and rises between the partition wall 23 and the back wall 25, and then the partition wall 23. The air is sucked into the center of the fan 10 from the air vent. The air sucked into the center of the fan 10 passes between the fan blades, is discharged from the outer periphery of the fan 10, is guided upward, and enters the outside room from the first air outlet 11 and the second air outlet 12. Blown out. Such an air flow corresponds to the air passage.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the air passage extending from the opening 24 formed in the partition wall 21 at the back of the air filter housing portion to the back along the partition wall 22 is partitioned vertically by the partition wall 27, and the first is sequentially from the bottom. The air passage 31 and the second air passage 32 are provided. That is, the air passage from the air filter to the blower 8 once branches into the first air passage 31 and the second air passage 32 and then merges with each other.

  The humidification filter 14 is arranged in the first ventilation path 31 so as to block almost the entire cross-sectional area. Specifically, a tray 15 detachable from one side is stored in the lower part of the main body 2, and water is stored at a certain water level in the tray 15. The humidifying filter 14 is made of a water-absorbing material folded in a zigzag, and is inserted into the tray 15 so that the lower part is immersed in water, and the water is sucked into a state containing moisture. A water supply tank 16 that stores water is connected to the tray 15, and water is supplied from the water supply tank 16 in a timely manner. The water supply tank 16 is detachably accommodated in the side portion of the main body 2 on the side where the tray 15 is attached and detached.

  On the other hand, the second ventilation path 32 is provided with a movable plate 35 that opens and closes the second ventilation path 32. In the present embodiment, the movable plate 35 is a curved plate that is supported by a support shaft 36 that is disposed slightly above the second ventilation path 32 along the left-right direction and that is curved in an arc shape around the support shaft 36. Therefore, the support shaft 36 is rotated about the fulcrum. The rotation of the movable plate 35 is driven by a digital control motor such as a stepping motor. Accordingly, the rotational position of the movable plate 35 is always recognized.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the movable plate 35 has a limit position of rotation, and a projection 37 protruding outward from the inner edge of the movable plate 35 abuts the end surface of the inner wall of the partition wall 27. As a result, the posture rotated most forward of the movable plate 35 is defined. In this posture, the movable plate 35 closes the second air passage 32. When the blower 8 is driven in this state, the air purified through the air filter flows into the first air passage 31 because the second air passage 32 is closed by the movable plate 35, and the humidifying filter 14 is reached. When the air passes through the humidifying filter 14, the air takes in moisture from the humidifying filter 14 and is then humidified. Thereafter, the air rises between the partition wall 23 and the back wall 25, and finally the first outlet 11 and the second outlet The air is blown out from the air outlet 12. Then, at this time, not only air purification but also humidification is performed efficiently.

  On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 37 of the movable plate 35 abuts against the protruding piece 26 protruding from the back wall 25, thereby defining the posture of the movable plate 35 that is rotated to the innermost side. In this posture, the movable plate 35 opens the second air passage 32 and closes the junction from the first air passage 31. When the air blower 8 is driven in this state, the air purified through the air filter is eventually passed through the first air passage 31 because the junction of the first air passage 31 is closed by the movable plate 35. Does not flow in, and the second air passage 32 is open, and therefore flows into the second air passage 32. The air is guided along the movable plate 35, then rises between the partition wall 23 and the back wall 25, and finally blown out from the first blowout port 11 and the second blowout port 12. . Then, at this time, humidification is hardly performed and air purification is mainly performed.

  Therefore, in the air cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the efficiency of humidification can be adjusted by opening and closing the movable plate 35 as necessary with respect to the second air passage 32. As a result, the air Purification and humidification can be performed efficiently and effectively.

  In the present embodiment, an ion generator 17 that generates positive and negative ions simultaneously or individually is disposed between the second outlet 12 and the blower 8. When the ion generator 17 is driven, ions are released from the ion generator 17 into the air mainly directed from the fan 10 to the second outlet 12, and purified air and further humidified air absorb ions. Including, it is mainly blown out into the room from the second outlet 12.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the main configuration related to the operation of the air cleaner 1. The overall operation of the air cleaner 1 is controlled by the control unit 40. Sensors such as a temperature sensor 41, a humidity sensor 42, a dust sensor 43, and an odor sensor 44 are connected to the control unit 40. The temperature sensor 41 detects the temperature of indoor air. The humidity sensor 42 detects the humidity of indoor air. In general, the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are integrated sensors. The dust sensor 43 includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and detects particles such as dust floating in the indoor air. The odor sensor 44 is a semiconductor gas sensor that utilizes a change in resistance value when gas is adsorbed on the surface of a sensor made of a metal oxide semiconductor, and detects an odor component in indoor air. That is, the dust sensor 43 and the odor sensor 44 function as a dirt detector that detects the degree of air dirt. Detection values obtained by the temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor 42, the dust sensor 43, and the odor sensor 44 are output to the control unit 40.

  The control unit 40 is connected to detection switches such as a tray water level detection switch 45, an air filter removal detection switch 46, and a tray / water tank removal detection switch 47. The tray water level detection switch 45 detects that the water stored in the tray 15 has fallen below the normal water level and has reached a water shortage level. The fact that the water in the tray 15 has reached the water shortage level is a situation where it is assumed that the water supply tank 16 has become empty and water needs to be replenished. The air filter removal detection switch 46 detects that the front panel 3 has been removed and that the filter holding frame 6, the deodorizing filter 4, and the dust collection filter 5 have been removed. The tray / water tank removal detection switch 47 further detects that the tray 15 and the water tank 16 have been removed.

  Further, various operation buttons 48 and various display lamps 49 constituting the operation / display unit 13 are connected to the control unit 40. The operation buttons 48 include a power button for turning on / off the power, an air purification setting button for setting the operation of the air purification function, a humidification setting button for setting the operation of the humidification function, An ion release button or the like for turning on / off the emission is included. Each time the air purification setting button is pressed, the air purification operation mode is switched such as automatic air volume, low air volume, and high air volume. Each time the humidification setting button is pressed, the humidification operation mode is switched, such as humidification automatic, humidification weak, humidification strong, or humidification off. Input from the operation button 48 according to the user's operation is output to the control unit 40.

  As the indicator lamp 49, a power indicator lamp that indicates ON / OFF of the power source according to the operation of the power button is turned on / off, or an air purification operation that indicates the air purification operation mode according to the operation of the air purification setting button. Ion emission that indicates ON / OFF of ion emission according to the operation of the mode display lamp and humidification setting button according to the operation of the humidification setting button. Examples include a display lamp, a humidity display lamp that displays the current humidity as a level, and a water supply display lamp that urges the water supply tank 16 to be replenished with light. The display lamp 49 is turned on / off according to a command from the control unit 40. Among them, the display of the humidity display lamp is based on the detection value from the humidity sensor 42. The water supply display lamp is displayed according to the detection output from the tray water level detection switch 45.

  Further, the control unit 40 includes a movable plate motor drive circuit 50 that controls the rotation drive of the digital control motor that rotates the movable plate 35 (opening / closing operation of the movable plate 35), and the rotation drive of the fan motor 9 of the blower 8 (blower). Are connected to a fan motor drive circuit 51 that controls the rotation of the ion generator 17 and an ion generator drive circuit 52 that controls the drive of the ion generator 17. The movable plate motor drive circuit 50, fan motor drive circuit 51, and ion generator drive circuit 52 are used for input operations from the operation buttons 48, detection values from various sensors, and detection outputs from various detection switches. Based on this, a command is sent from the control unit 40, and the movable plate 35, the blower 8, and the ion generator 17 are driven.

  An example regarding the driving modes of the movable plate 35, the blower 8, and the ion generator 17 by the control unit 40 is listed below.

  The control unit 40 adjusts the rotational speed of the blower 8, that is, the fan motor 9, based on a detection value from at least one of the dust sensor 43 and the odor sensor 44. More specifically, when the air purification operation is performed in the humidification cut-off mode and the air volume automatic mode, the rotational speed of the fan motor 9 is stepped according to the detection values from the dust sensor 43 and the odor sensor 44. Switch to. For example, if it is determined from the detected value that the air is dirty, the fan motor 9 is rotated at a high rotational speed to cause the air to flow with a large air volume, and the air purifying function is positively exhibited. If it is determined from the detected value that the air has become clean, from the viewpoint of suppressing noise and power consumption, the fan motor 9 is switched to a rotation at a low rotation speed to cause the air to flow with a small amount of air, and the air purification function can be performed at a low level. maintain. If it is determined that the air is again contaminated, the fan motor 9 is switched to rotation at a high rotation speed. This is repeated. This makes it possible to clean indoor air cleanly. At that time, the movable plate 35 is in a posture to open the second air passage 32.

  The control unit 40 opens and closes the movable plate 35 with respect to the second ventilation path 32 based on the detection value from the humidity sensor 42. Specifically, when the humidification operation is performed in the humidification automatic mode, for example, when the target humidity is set to 60%, if the detection value from the humidity sensor 42 is 60% or more, the second When the humidity is less than 60%, the movable plate 35 is rotated so that the second ventilation path 32 is closed and humidified. Increase efficiency. As a result, the indoor air can be adjusted to the set target humidity.

  Furthermore, you may make it also adjust the rotation speed of the air blower 8, ie, the fan motor 9, collectively. That is, if the detected value from the humidity sensor 42 is equal to or higher than the set target humidity, the movable plate 35 is rotated so that the second air passage 32 is opened, and the rotational speed of the fan motor 9 is decreased. If the humidification efficiency is lowered and the humidity is lower than the target humidity, the movable plate 35 is rotated so that the second ventilation path 32 is closed, and the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 is increased to increase the humidification efficiency. This makes it possible to further adjust the indoor air according to the set target humidity.

  In such a case, in a situation where the detected value from the humidity sensor 42 has shifted from less than the set target humidity to above, the movable plate 35 is changed from the closed state to the opened state. , And the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 is switched from a high state to a low state. The switching order is such that the movable plate 35 is switched after the fan motor 9 is switched. You should do it. This is because, when the movable plate 35 is switched first, a large amount of air flows into the second ventilation path 32 that has started to open, and an unpleasant whistling sound is generated.

  In the humidification automatic mode, in addition to the above-described operation method, air is always allowed to flow into the first air passage 31 while the movable plate 35 closes the second air passage 32, and detection from the humidity sensor 42 is performed. There is also a method of adjusting the humidification efficiency by adjusting the rotation speed of the fan motor 9, that is, the air volume based on the value.

  Note that during operation in the humidified automatic mode, if the set target humidity is not reached even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the rotational speed of the fan motor 9 may be corrected to be increased by one step. In such a situation, there is a high possibility that the air purifier 1 is used in a room that exceeds the specified number of tatami mats, and it is considered that the humidifying capacity is insufficient at the rotation speed set to the specified tatami mat number. Because.

  When the control unit 40 receives an input operation for switching the opening and closing of the movable plate 35 with respect to the second air passage 32 from the operation button 48, the control unit 40 switches the opening and closing of the movable plate 35 and moves the rotational speed of the blower 8, that is, the fan motor 9. The air flow before and after the opening / closing switching of the plate 35 is switched so as to be substantially equal. Specifically, for example, when the air purification operation is switched from the humidification cut-off mode state to the humidification operation, the movable plate 35 rotates to open the second air passage 32. Accordingly, the inflow of air is switched from the second ventilation path 32 to the first ventilation path 31, but the second ventilation path 32 before switching is changed to the closed state. While there is no air flow resistance, there is a humidifying filter 14 in the first air passage 31 after switching, which also serves as a flow resistance. Therefore, if the number of rotations of the fan motor 9 before and after switching is the same, the air volume is substantially different before and after switching. Therefore, at the time of switching, the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 is higher in the humidifying operation in which the second ventilation path 32 is closed than in the air purification operation in which the second ventilation path 32 is opened. Like that. In this way, the air volume is almost equal before and after the switching, and as a result, the air purification capability does not change. The correlation between the rotational speed of the fan motor 9 and the air volume is obtained in a preliminary test for each of the air purification operation with the second air passage 32 opened and the humidification operation with the second air passage 32 closed. From among them, the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 to be set is selected.

  However, when switching from air purification operation to humidification strong mode humidification operation, the user intends to perform strong humidification in the first place, so in that case, without being aware of the air volume before and after switching, The fan motor 9 is set to a high rotation speed that provides a large air volume.

  When the control unit 40 receives an input operation for switching the opening and closing of the movable plate 35 with respect to the second air passage 32 from the operation button 48, the control unit 40 switches the opening and closing of the movable plate 35 and moves the rotational speed of the blower 8, that is, the fan motor 9. Switching is performed so that the noise values before and after the opening / closing switching of the plate 35 are substantially equal. Specifically, for example, when the air purification operation is switched from the humidification cut-off mode state to the humidification operation, the movable plate 35 rotates to open the second air passage 32. Accordingly, the inflow of air is switched from the second ventilation path 32 to the first ventilation path 31, but the second ventilation path 32 before switching is changed to the closed state. While there is no air flow resistance, there is a humidifying filter 14 in the first air passage 31 after switching, which also serves as a flow resistance. Accordingly, if the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 before and after switching is the same, the noise value will be substantially different before and after switching. Therefore, at the time of switching, the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 is slightly smaller in the humidification operation in which the second ventilation path 32 is closed than in the air purification operation in which the second ventilation path 32 is opened. Do the same to get higher. In this way, the noise values are almost equal before and after switching, and as a result, the user does not feel uncomfortable. It should be noted that the correlation between the rotational speed of the fan motor 9 and the noise value is obtained in a preliminary test for each of the air purification operation with the second air passage 32 opened and the humidification operation with the second air passage 32 closed. From this, the number of rotations of the fan motor 9 to be set is selected.

  However, when switching from the air purification operation to the humidification / humidification operation, the user intends to perform strong humidification in the first place. The motor 9 is set to a high rotational speed that provides a large air volume.

  The control unit 40 detects the output from the tray water level detection switch 45 during execution of an operation mode (for example, an operation mode for driving the ion generator 17) that stops operation or automatically shifts to another operation mode after execution for a predetermined time. Is not displayed until the predetermined time has elapsed, and then the water supply display lamp of the display lamps 49 is turned on to prompt the water supply tank 16 to supply water. Specifically, when the ion release button of the operation buttons 48 is turned on, the ion generator 17 is driven for a predetermined time of, for example, about 15 minutes, and ions are released. In the middle of this, when there is a detection output from the tray water level detection switch 45, the water supply display lamp is not immediately turned on, but the water supply display lamp is turned on after driving the ion generator 17 for a predetermined time. Even if there is a detection output from the tray water level detection switch 45, the water supply tank 16 including the tray 15 generally has a small amount of water. This is because there is no problem in driving the ion generator 17 within a limited time.

  When receiving an operation stop input operation from the operation button 48, the control unit 40 rotates and holds the movable plate 35 to the closest position. Specifically, when the power button of the operation buttons 48 is turned off, the movable plate 35 is turned to a posture in which the second air passage 32 is completely closed regardless of the air purification operation or the humidification operation. Move and hold. As a result, even if the front panel 3 is removed and the air filter is removed, the second air passage 32 connected to the inside is closed by the movable plate 35, thereby preventing inadvertent insertion of fingers and the like. Can be safe.

  From the same safety point of view, when receiving the detection output from the air filter removal detection switch 46, the control unit 40 may rotate and hold the movable plate 35 to the closest position. Even if the front panel 3 is removed and the air filter is removed during operation, the second ventilation path 32 connected to the inside is closed by the movable plate 35. When receiving the detection output from the tray / water tank removal detection switch 47, the control unit 40 may rotate and hold the movable plate 35 in the most forward position.

  When receiving the detection output from the tray water level detection switch 45 during the humidifying operation, the control unit 40 urges the water supply tank 16 to be replenished by turning on the water supply display lamp of the display lamp 49 and also humidifies the water as it is. Continue driving. That is, the humidification operation is not immediately stopped. Thereby, since inflow of the air to the 1st ventilation path 31 continues, when water is not replenished to the water supply tank 16, since the humidification filter 14 is gradually deprived of moisture and dries, It can prevent the adhesion of scale and is hygienic.

  The control unit 40 adjusts the rotational speed of the blower 8, that is, the fan motor 9, based on the detection value from the temperature sensor 41. Specifically, if the detected value from the temperature sensor 41 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the rotation speed of the fan motor 9 set in the humidification automatic mode, the humidification weak mode, and the humidification strong mode is increased step by step. To correct. This is because when the temperature of the air is low, the humidification performance itself deteriorates, and thus correction is necessary.

  By the way, when the power button of the operation buttons 48 is turned off and the operation of the air purifier 1 is stopped, the control unit 40 controls the air purifier 1 according to the flow shown in FIG.

  First, in step S5, the odor sensor 44, which is a semiconductor gas sensor, is continuously energized. That is, here, as the power button is turned off, the driving of the blower 8 and the ion generator 17, the energization of the temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor 42, and the dust sensor 43 are stopped, and the display lamp 49 is turned off, but the odor sensor The energization to 44 is continued. Thereby, the heating by the heater built in the odor sensor 44 is continued, and the sensor surface of the odor sensor 44 is still maintained at a temperature suitable for gas detection.

  Next, in step S10, it is determined whether or not there has been an operation restart operation such as turning on the power button while the operation is stopped while the odor sensor 44 is continuously energized. If there is no operation resumption operation, the process proceeds to step S15. If there is an operation resumption operation, the process proceeds to step S40 to resume the operation.

  In step S15, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 1 minute has elapsed since the operation was stopped, and the process returns to step S5 to continue energizing the odor sensor 44 until the predetermined time has elapsed. The measurement of the predetermined time is performed by a timer in the control unit 40. On the other hand, if a predetermined time has elapsed without any operation resumption until then, the process proceeds to step S20.

  In step S20, energization to the odor sensor 44 is stopped. That is, here, energization to the odor sensor 44 that has been continued even after the operation is stopped is stopped, and the operation including the odor sensor 44 is completely stopped. Thereby, the heating by the heater of the odor sensor 44 is also stopped, and the temperature of the sensor surface of the odor sensor 44 gradually decreases.

  Thereafter, in step S25, it is determined whether or not there has been an operation resumption operation such as turning on the power button while the operation of the odor sensor 44 is completely stopped. Here, if there is no operation resumption operation, the operation is terminated as it is. When there is an operation restart operation, the process proceeds to step S60 to restart the operation.

  As described above, when the operation is stopped, energization to the odor sensor 44 is continued until a predetermined time elapses thereafter, and energization to the odor sensor 44 is stopped when the predetermined time elapses. Accordingly, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation was stopped. And if the operation restart operation is performed within the predetermined time, that is, immediately after the operation stop, the operation proceeds to step S40, and the operation is restarted.On the other hand, when the operation restart operation is performed after the predetermined time has elapsed, It progresses to step S60 and restarts operation.

  In restarting the operation when the process proceeds to the former step S40, the fan 8 and the ion generator 17 are driven, the temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor 42, and the dust sensor 43 are energized in accordance with turning on the power button for restarting the operation. The display lamp 49 is turned on. The odor sensor 44 is continuously energized.

  Immediately after resuming the operation, detection by the odor sensor 44 is started and acquisition of the detected value is started in step S45. This is because the sensor surface of the odor sensor 44 is already at a temperature suitable for gas detection due to continuous heating by the heater, and thus even a detection value acquired immediately after restarting operation is sufficiently reliable. Then, the determination of the degree of air contamination is performed based on the acquired detection value. Therefore, in this case, when the operation is resumed immediately after the operation is stopped, the degree of air contamination can be immediately determined.

  At that time, the first detected value after restarting operation may be used as the first reference value to determine the degree of air pollution after restarting operation. The final reference value may be used as the first reference value to determine air contamination after resuming operation. This is because it can be assumed that the indoor environment has hardly changed between when the operation is stopped and when the operation is restarted. In that case, since the detection value acquired first after restarting operation can be compared with the reference value, it is advantageous in that the substantial start point of the air dirt determination becomes earlier.

  On the other hand, in restarting the operation when the process proceeds to step S60, which is the latter, the blower 8 and the ion generator 17 are driven, the temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor 42, and the dust sensor 43 according to turning on the power button for restarting the operation. And the display lamp 49 is turned on. At the same time, energization of the odor sensor 44 is started.

  After restarting the operation, the detection by the odor sensor 44 is started in step S70 and the detection value is started to be acquired. Before that, in step S65, the operation is restarted, that is, the odor sensor 44 is energized. It is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds has elapsed since the start of the operation, and the process waits without performing detection by the odor sensor 44 until the predetermined time elapses. This is because immediately before the restart of operation in this case, the energization to the odor sensor 44 is stopped and the heating by the heater is also stopped, so the detection value immediately after the restart of operation is not reliable. The measurement of the fixed time is performed by a timer in the control unit 40. Then, after the lapse of the predetermined time, the degree of air contamination is determined based on the acquired detection value.

  At that time, the first detection value obtained after the restart of operation is used as the first reference value, and the degree of air contamination after the restart of operation is determined. This is because it can be assumed that the indoor environment at the time when the operation is stopped and when the operation is restarted is greatly changed.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a general air cleaner having no humidification function, that is, the humidifier filter 14 including the tray 15 and the water supply tank 16 is not provided, the partition plate 27 and the movable plate 35 are not provided, and the ventilation from the air filter to the blower 8 is performed. The present invention can also be applied to a single air purifier without branching the road.

  The present invention is useful for an air cleaner.

It is a perspective view in the front view which shows the external appearance of the air cleaner which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the side view which shows the state which the movable plate closed the 2nd ventilation path about the internal structure of the air cleaner of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the side view which shows the state which the movable plate opened the 2nd ventilation path about the internal structure of the air cleaner of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the main structures concerning operation | movement of the air cleaner of FIG. It is a flowchart after the operation stop in the air cleaner of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air cleaner 2 Main body 3 Front panel 4 Deodorizing filter 5 Dust collection filter 8 Blower 9 Fan motor 10 Fan 11 1st outlet 12 Second outlet 13 Operation / display part 14 Humidification filter 15 Tray 16 Water supply tank 17 Ion Generator 21 Bulkhead 22 Bulkhead 23 Bulkhead 24 Opening 25 Back wall 26 Projection piece 27 Partition wall 31 First ventilation path 32 Second ventilation path 35 Movable plate 36 Support shaft 37 Projection 44 Odor sensor (semiconductor gas sensor)

Claims (3)

In accordance with the rotation of the blower in the air passage, the outside air is sucked and purified through an air filter, and the purified air is blown out to the outside.
A semiconductor gas sensor that detects the degree of air contamination, and a control unit that acquires a detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor and determines the degree of air contamination;
When the operation is stopped, energization of the semiconductor gas sensor is continued until a predetermined time passes thereafter.   When the operation is restarted within the predetermined time, the control unit sets a detection value obtained by setting the reference value in the air contamination determination immediately before the restart of the detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor acquired before the restart of the operation as a reference value. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein air pollution judgment is restarted.   When the operation is resumed after the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit obtains a detection value from the semiconductor gas sensor after a certain period of time has elapsed since the energization of the semiconductor gas sensor is resumed. The air cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the air contamination determination is restarted with the detected value as a reference value.

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