JP2008049002A - Air sterilization device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent penetration of foreign matter through a discharge port and unnecessary air distribution between inside and outside of the device in an air sterilization device using electrolytic water. <P>SOLUTION: Electrolytic water generated in an electrolytic tub 46 is fed from the upper side of an air-liquid contact member 53, and air is blown to the air-liquid contact member 53 by a blower fan 31 in the air sterilization device 1. A louver 20 which can close an outlet 13 is attached to the outlet 13 from which air blown by the blower fan 31 is discharged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air sterilization apparatus capable of removing airborne microorganisms (hereinafter simply referred to as “virus etc.”) such as bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Conventionally, a sterilization apparatus has been proposed that electrolyzes tap water to generate electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid, and uses this electrolyzed water to remove viruses and the like floating in the air (for example, Patent Document 1). This sterilization device is designed to disinfect air by supplying electrolyzed water to a humidifying element made of non-woven fabric, etc., bringing the virus in the air into contact with the electrolyzed water on the humidifying element, and inactivating the virus. It is what.
JP 2002-181358 A

By the way, in the said conventional sterilization apparatus etc., since the discharge port etc. which discharge | emit the air which passed the humidification element are always opening, there exists a concern about the entrance of the foreign material from the outside. Further, since the air moves from the inside of the apparatus to the outside even when the apparatus is stopped, the inside of the apparatus must be kept clean even when the apparatus is not used.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress entry of foreign matter through a discharge port and unnecessary air flow across the inside and outside of the device in an air sterilizer using electrolyzed water.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention electrolyzes water in an electrolytic cell to produce electrolyzed water, infiltrates the produced electrolyzed water into a gas-liquid contact member, and blows air into the gas-liquid contact member by a blower fan. In the air sterilization device for sterilizing the air by sending, a louver capable of closing the discharge port is provided at a discharge port for discharging the air blown by the blower fan to the outside of the device. .
According to the present invention, the louver is provided at the discharge port for discharging the air blown by the blower fan, and the discharge port can be closed by this louver. Therefore, if the discharge port is closed when the blower fan is stopped, Ingress and unnecessary air circulation can be suppressed.

In this invention, it is good also as a structure provided with the drive means which hold | maintains arbitrary angle positions with respect to the said opening surface while rotating the said louver with respect to the opening surface of the said discharge port.
In this case, since the louver can be held at an arbitrary angular position, the exhaust of the blower fan can be rectified by the louver and the exhaust direction can be adjusted to an arbitrary direction.

Moreover, in this invention, when producing | generating the electrolyzed water containing ozone with the said electrolytic vessel, it is good also as a structure which closes the said discharge port by the said louver.
In this case, when the electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated by the electrolytic bath, the odor peculiar to ozone is prevented from leaking outside the apparatus by suppressing the air flow through the discharge port. Thereby, for example, when using electrolyzed water containing ozone for the purpose of cleaning the inside of the apparatus, leakage of odors into the installation room can be suppressed, and the indoor environment can be kept comfortable.

Moreover, in this invention, when producing | generating the electrolyzed water containing ozone by the said electrolytic vessel, it is good also as a structure which closes the said discharge port by the said louver while stopping the ventilation by the said ventilation fan.
In this case, when the electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated by the electrolyzer, the flow of air through the discharge port can be more reliably suppressed, so the apparatus is installed when using electrolyzed water containing ozone. It is possible to reliably suppress leakage of odors into the room and to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.

In the present invention, the electrolytic cell has a configuration in which electrolyzed water is generated by applying a voltage between a plurality of electrodes, and by reversing the potential of the plurality of electrodes, ozone and other active oxygen species It is good also as a structure which can be produced | generated by switching.
In this case, ozone and other active oxygen species can be easily switched and generated in the electrolytic cell, and the exhaust port is closed by the louver so that the odor peculiar to ozone does not leak outside the apparatus. Can be. Thereby, the electrolyzed water containing ozone that emits a specific odor can be easily used while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment in which the apparatus is installed.
In addition, by reversing the potential of the electrode in the electrolytic cell, the scale attached to the electrode is peeled off and dropped during electrolysis, so the frequency of electrode cleaning can be reduced and the burden on maintenance is reduced. There is an advantage that you can.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the approach of the foreign material and the distribution | circulation of an unnecessary air through the discharge port of an air sanitizer can be suppressed reliably.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an air sterilization apparatus 1 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
As shown in FIG. 1, the air sterilization apparatus 1 has a box-shaped housing 11 formed in a vertically long shape, and is installed on the floor, for example. A suction grill 12 is provided at the lower front portion of the housing 11, and an air outlet 13 as an outlet is provided on the upper surface of the housing 11.
The air sterilization apparatus 1 is an apparatus that cleans room air by sucking and sterilizing the air in the installation room through the suction grill 12 and discharging the air from the outlet 13.

A water supply tank outlet 14 for taking in and out a water supply tank 41 (FIG. 2), which will be described later, is provided on the upper surface of the housing 11, and drainage for taking in and out a water drain 57, which will be described later, is provided on the front surface of the housing 11. A receiving outlet 15 is provided. A lid that can be opened and closed is attached to the water supply tank outlet 14 and the drainage outlet 15.
Furthermore, the blower outlet 13 is provided with a louver 20 for changing the direction of blowing air.

  In addition, gripping portions 17 are formed on the upper portions of both side surfaces of the housing 11. The gripping part 17 is a concave part for placing a hand on the case 11 so that the air sterilizer 1 can be lifted and moved by one person during transportation.

Next, the internal structure of the air sterilizer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the air sterilizer 1. In FIG. 2, the external shape of the housing | casing 11 is shown with a virtual line for reference. 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of the air sterilizer 1, FIG. 4 is a left sectional view, FIG. 5 is a right sectional view, and FIG. 6 is a top view. .

The interior of the housing 11 is divided up and down by a support plate 37, and the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 32 are accommodated in the lower chamber. The blower fan 31 is driven by a fan motor 32, sucks indoor air through the suction grill 12, and blows it out from the blower opening 31A. The blower port 31 </ b> A of the blower fan 31 is provided upward in the rear side portion of the housing 11, and the support plate 37 is provided with an opening at a position overlapping the blower port 31 </ b> A. The opening of the support plate 37 communicates with a space 1 </ b> A that extends vertically on the back side of the housing 11. An air guide plate 38 that is inclined toward the front side of the housing 11 is disposed in the upper portion of the space 1A, and the front end of the air guide plate 38 is in contact with the upper end of a watering box 51 described later.
For this reason, the air blown from the blower port 31A of the blower fan 31 passes through the space 1A as shown by an arrow in FIG. 5 and is blown to the back surface of the gas-liquid contact member 53 described later.

  Further, a pre-filter 34 is disposed in the housing 11 so as to overlap the back side of the suction grill 12. The prefilter 34 is a filter that collects, for example, an object having a particle size of 10 μm (micrometer) or more. Air from which pollen and dust floating in the air are removed by the prefilter 34 is sucked in by the blower fan 31.

  On the support plate 37, the electrical equipment box 39 and the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 are disposed. The electrical equipment box 39 accommodates various electrical components such as a control board (not shown) on which various devices constituting the control unit 60 to be described later are mounted and a power supply circuit that supplies a power supply voltage to the fan motor 32.

The electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 includes a water tray 42, a water tray float switch 43, a circulation pump 44, an electrolytic bath 46, a watering box 51, and a gas-liquid contact member 53.
The water receiving tray 42 is located above the electrical box 39 and receives water dropped from the gas-liquid contact member 53, and has a depth for storing a predetermined amount of water. One end of the water tray 42 is formed deeper and forms a reservoir 42A, and a water tray float switch 43 that detects the water level is disposed in the reservoir 42A. The water tray float switch 43 is a switch that is turned on when the water level in the reservoir 42A falls below a predetermined water level.

  A water supply tank 41 is disposed on the storage part 42A, and water can be supplied from the water supply tank 41 to the storage part 42A. More specifically, a float valve (not shown) is provided at the water supply port 41A formed at the lower end of the water supply tank 41, and when the water level of the reservoir 42A is lower than the water supply port 41A, a necessary amount of water is supplied from the water supply tank 41. Water is supplied, and the water level of the storage unit 42A is kept constant.

  A circulation pump 44 is disposed on the reservoir 42A. Circulation pump 44 operates in accordance with the control of control unit 60 (FIG. 8), pumps up water stored in storage unit 42 </ b> A and sends it to electrolytic cell 46. As will be described later, the electrolytic bath 46 includes a plurality of electrodes, and a voltage supplied from the control unit 60 (FIG. 8) is applied between the electrodes to electrolyze water to generate electrolyzed water. The electrolyzed water generated by the electrolyzer 46 is pushed out of the electrolyzer 46 by the water discharged from the circulation pump 44 and supplied to the watering box 51.

  The watering box 51 is a tubular member assembled to the upper part of the gas-liquid contact member 53, and a plurality of watering holes are opened on the lower surface, and electrolyzed water is dropped from the watering holes 52 to the watering box 51. The gas-liquid contact member 53 is a substantially plate-like member that is infiltrated with the electrolyzed water dropped from the watering box 51, and is disposed on the water tray 42 together with the watering box 51. As shown in detail in FIG. 5, the gas-liquid contact member 53 is erected substantially vertically, and the lower end enters the water tray 42. The watering box 51 assembled on the gas-liquid contact member 53 is in contact with the tip of the air guide plate 38. Therefore, the exhaust air of the blower fan 31 that has passed through the space 1 </ b> A is guided to the gas-liquid contact member 53 side by the air guide plate 38 and passes through the gas-liquid contact member 53.

The gas-liquid contact member 53 is a filter member having a honeycomb structure. Specifically, the gas-liquid contact member 53 has a structure in which an element portion that contacts gas is supported by a frame. The element portion is configured by laminating a corrugated plate member and a flat plate member, and a plurality of substantially triangular openings are formed between the corrugated member and the flat plate member. Accordingly, a wide gas contact area is ensured when air is passed through the element portion, electrolyzed water can be dripped, and clogging is difficult.
The gas-liquid contact member 53 is provided with a flow dividing sheet (not shown) in order to efficiently disperse the electrolyzed water dropped from the watering box 51 in the element portion. The diversion sheet is a sheet (woven fabric, non-woven fabric, or the like) made of a fiber material having liquid permeability, and one or more are provided along the cross section in the thickness direction of the gas-liquid contact member 53.
Furthermore, the gas-liquid contact member 53 and the water supply tank 41 are partitioned by a partition plate 36. The partition plate 36 is for closing the space 1 </ b> A and the side of the gas-liquid contact member 53 so that air passes smoothly through the gas-liquid contact member 53.

Here, each part (including the frame, the element part, and the flow dividing sheet) of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is made of a material that is hardly deteriorated by electrolyzed water, such as polyolefin resin (polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, etc.), PET (polyethylene). -Materials such as terephthalate) resin, vinyl chloride resin, fluorine resin (PTFE, PFA, ETFE, etc.) or ceramic material are used. In this configuration, PET resin is used.
Further, each part of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment to enhance the affinity for the electrolyzed water, whereby the water retention (wetability) of the electrolyzed water of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is maintained. The contact between the active oxygen species described later and the room air is maintained for a long time. Furthermore, since electrolyzed water having fungicidal action is dripped onto the gas-liquid contact member 53, it is possible to propagate the mold without taking anti-fungal measures (such as application of fungicides) on the gas-liquid contact member 53. Can be avoided.

And the air which passed the gas-liquid contact member 53 is exhausted through the blower outlet filter 35 arrange | positioned under the blower outlet 13. FIG.
The air outlet filter 35 is a filter for preventing foreign matter from entering the housing 11 from the air outlet 13. The outlet filter 35 includes a net, a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or the like (not shown). As these materials, a synthetic resin, preferably a material constituting the gas-liquid contact member 53 is preferable. The air outlet filter 35 is preferably moderately coarse so as not to remarkably increase the airflow resistance of the air that has passed through the gas-liquid contact member 53.

  A louver 20 is disposed at the air outlet 13 provided in the housing 11. The louver 20 connects the upper plate 21 having a size capable of closing the air outlet 13, the lower plate 22 disposed in parallel to the upper plate 21 below the upper plate 21, and the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22. And a connecting portion 23 to be configured. The connecting portion 23 is a plate-like member provided at each of the left and right end portions of the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22, and pins 24 are erected. These two pins 24 protrude from the both side ends of the louver 20 to the housing 11 side, and are fitted into receiving portions (not shown) provided beside the air outlet 13 to support the louver 20.

The two pins 24 are rotatably supported at the receiving portion and are connected to a louver drive motor 68 (FIG. 8) as a drive means. And the pin 24 is driven by the louver drive motor 68, and the louver 20 rotates accordingly.
When the louver 20 is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the housing 11, the air outlet 13 is substantially closed by the upper plate 21. This state is referred to as a “closed state” of the louver 20. On the other hand, a state in which the louver 20 is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the housing 11 is referred to as an “open state”.

  In the open state of the louver 20, the air that has passed through the gas-liquid contact member 53 can be discharged from the air outlet 13. Here, the louver 20 is adjusted to an arbitrary angular position by the louver drive motor 68 and is held at the angular position. For this reason, the exhaust direction from the blower outlet 13 can be adjusted by the louver 20. Further, since the louver 20 has a two-blade structure in which the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, the louver 20 has an action of rectifying the air blown from the blowout port 13. Can be exhausted smoothly.

  Furthermore, if the louver 20 is closed with the fan motor 32 stopped, the air in the housing 11 hardly leaks outside. For this reason, as will be described later, when ozone is generated in the electrolytic cell 46 or a high concentration of active oxygen species is generated, odors peculiar to these are difficult to leak outside. For this reason, there also exists an advantage that ozone and high concentration active oxygen species can be utilized, maintaining the indoor environment where the air sanitizer 1 was installed comfortably.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the state of supply of the electrolyzed water, FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2, and FIG. FIG.
With reference to this FIG. 7, the supply of the electrolyzed water with respect to the gas-liquid contact member 53 is demonstrated. In the present embodiment, a case where tap water is put into the water supply tank 41 and the air sterilizer 1 is operated will be described.

  When the water supply tank 41 containing the tap water is set in the air sterilizer 1, the tap water is supplied from the water supply tank 41 to the water tray 42 as described above, and the water level of the water tray 42 reaches a predetermined level. . The water in the water receiving tray 42 is pumped up by the circulation pump 44 and supplied to the electrolytic cell 46.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the electrolytic cell 46 includes two pairs of electrodes 47 and 48. By applying a voltage between the electrodes 47 and 48, water flowing into the electrolytic cell 46 is electrolyzed. Electrolyzed water containing active oxygen species is generated. Here, the reactive oxygen species includes oxygen molecules having an oxidation activity higher than that of normal oxygen and related substances, and the so-called narrow activity such as superoxide anion, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, or hydrogen peroxide. It is assumed that oxygen includes active oxygen in a broad sense such as ozone and hypohalous acid. The electrolytic cell 46 is arranged in the vicinity of the gas-liquid contact member 53 and is configured such that active oxygen species generated by electrolyzing tap water are immediately supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53.

  The electrode 47 is an electrode plate in which the base is made of titanium (Ti) and the coating layer is made of iridium (Ir) or platinum (Pt), for example, and is used as an active oxygen species by applying a positive potential as an anode electrode from an external power source. Hypochlorous acid is produced.

  The electrode 48 is, for example, an electrode plate having a base of titanium and a coating layer of platinum and tantalum (Ta), and generates ozone as an active oxygen species when a positive potential is applied from an external power source as an anode electrode.

When the electrode 47 is used as an anode electrode, the electrode 48 is used as a cathode electrode, and a voltage is applied between the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 from an external power source, hydrogen ions (H ⁺ ) in water are generated in the electrode 48 serving as a cathode electrode. And hydroxide ion (OH ⁻ ) react as shown in the following formula (1).
4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ + (4OH ⁻ ) → 2H ₂ + (4OH ⁻ ) (1)

On the other hand, in the electrode 47 as an anode electrode (anode), water is electrolyzed as shown in the following formula (2).
2H ₂ O → 4H ⁺ + O ₂ + 4e ⁻ (2)
At the same time, at the electrode 47, chlorine ions (chloride ions: Cl ⁻ ) contained in water react as shown in the following formula (3) to generate chlorine (Cl ₂ ).
2Cl ⁻ → Cl ₂ + 2e ⁻ (3)
Further, this chlorine reacts with water as shown in the following formula (4) to generate hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hydrogen chloride (HCl).
Cl ₂ + H ₂ O → HClO + HCl (4)

  Hypochlorous acid generated at the electrode 47 is contained in a broad sense of active oxygen species and has a strong oxidizing action and bleaching action. The aqueous solution in which hypochlorous acid is dissolved, that is, the electrolyzed water generated by the air sterilizer 1 exhibits various air cleaning effects such as inactivation of viruses, sterilization, and decomposition of organic compounds.

On the other hand, when the electrode 47 is used as a cathode electrode, the electrode 48 is used as an anode electrode, and a voltage is applied between the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 from an external power source, the electrode 48 serving as the anode electrode has the following formula (5). Reaction shown to (7) occurs, and ozone is produced | generated.
2H ₂ O → 4H ⁺ + O ₂ + 4e ⁻ (5)
3H ₂ O → O ₃ + 6H ⁺ + 6e ⁻ (6)
2H ₂ O → O ₃ + 4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ (7)
On the other hand, in the electrode 47 as the cathode electrode, reactions shown in the following formulas (8) and (9) occur, and O ₂ ⁻ generated by the electrode reaction and H ⁺ in the solution are combined to form hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) is produced.
4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ + (4OH ⁻ ) → 2H ₂ + (4OH ⁻ ) (8)
O ₂ ⁻ + e ⁻ + 2H ⁺ → H ₂ O ₂ (9)

Thus, in the configuration of the present embodiment, hypochlorous acid having a high bactericidal power is applied from the electrode 47 side by applying a voltage from the external power source between the electrodes 47 and 48 so that the electrode 47 has a positive potential. It is possible to generate electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid.
In addition, by applying a voltage from an external power source between the electrodes 47 and 48 so that the electrode 48 has a positive potential, ozone having a high bactericidal power is generated from the electrode 48 side, and hydrogen peroxide is generated from the electrode 47 side. Thus, electrolyzed water containing ozone and hydrogen peroxide can be produced.

And when hypochlorous acid with big bactericidal power is produced | generated by the electrodes 47 and 48, when the electrolyzed water containing this hypochlorous acid is dripped from the sprinkling box 51 to the gas-liquid contact member 53, it will be carried out by the ventilation fan 31. The blown air comes into contact with hypochlorous acid at the gas-liquid contact member 53. As a result, viruses or the like floating in the air are inactivated, and odorous substances contained in the air react with hypochlorous acid to be decomposed or ionized and dissolved. Accordingly, the air is sterilized and deodorized, and the purified air is discharged from the gas-liquid contact member 53.
Further, when ozone or hydrogen peroxide is generated by the electrodes 47 and 48, the air blown out by the blower fan 31 comes into contact with ozone or hydrogen peroxide in the gas-liquid contact member 53. Thereby, viruses floating in the air are inactivated, and odorous substances contained in the air are decomposed by reacting with ozone or hydrogen peroxide, or are ionized and dissolved. Accordingly, the air is sterilized and deodorized, and the purified air is discharged from the gas-liquid contact member 53.

  An example of influenza virus is given as an action mechanism for inactivating viruses and the like by reactive oxygen species. The above-mentioned reactive oxygen species have the action of destroying and eliminating (removing) the surface protein (spike) of influenza virus, which is essential for influenza infection. When this surface protein is destroyed, the influenza virus and a receptor (receptor) necessary for the infection of the influenza virus are not bound, and the infection is prevented. For this reason, the influenza virus floating in the air loses infectivity by contacting the electrolyzed water containing the active oxygen species in the gas-liquid contact member 53, so that the infection is prevented.

  Therefore, even when this air sterilization apparatus 1 is installed in a so-called large space such as a kindergarten, elementary / middle / high school, a nursing care insurance facility, a hospital, etc., it is cleaned with sterilized water (disinfection, deodorization). Etc.) can be spread widely in the large space, and air sterilization and deodorization in the large space can be performed efficiently.

  Here, switching of the electrodes for applying a positive potential to any side of the electrodes 47 and 48 in the electrolytic cell 46 can be performed by reversing the polarity of the electrodes, which will be described later in this embodiment. This can be executed by changing (reversing) the voltage applied to the electrodes 47 and 48 by the control unit 60 (FIG. 8).

In addition, the concentration of the active oxygen species in the electrolytic water is adjusted to a concentration that inactivates viruses to be sterilized. The concentration of the active oxygen species is adjusted by adjusting a voltage applied between the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 and adjusting a current value flowing between the electrode 47 and the electrode 48.
For example, when a positive potential is applied to the electrode 47 and the current value flowing between the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 is 20 mA (milliampere) / cm ² (square centimeter), a predetermined advantageous residual chlorine concentration (for example, 1 mg) (Milligram) / l (liter)). In addition, the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the electrolytic water can be increased by changing the voltage applied between the electrodes 47 and 48 to increase the current value. Concerning ozone or hydrogen peroxide in the electrolyzed water, similarly to the above, the concentration of ozone or hydrogen peroxide in the electrolyzed water can be increased by applying a positive potential to the electrode 48 and increasing the value of the current flowing between the electrodes 47 and 48. Can be high.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, an example in which tap water is supplied from the water supply tank 41 is described. Since tap water contains chlorinated compounds for the purpose of sterilization, it contains chloride ions. These chloride ions react as shown in the above formulas (3) and (4), and hypoxia. Chloric acid and hydrochloric acid are produced. This is not limited to the case where tap water is used. If the water supplied to the electrolytic cell 46 is water containing halide ions by addition or mixing of a halogen compound, the above formula (3) And the reactive oxygen species containing halogen is generated by the same reaction as (4).

  Further, in the air sterilization apparatus 1, the same reaction can be caused when water with a dilute ionic species (including pure water, purified water, well water, some tap water, etc.) is used. That is, when a halogen compound (salt etc.) is added to water with a dilute ionic species, a reaction similar to the above formulas (3) and (4) occurs, and active oxygen species can be obtained. That is, the air sterilization apparatus 1 is not limited to tap water to which chlorine compounds are sufficiently added, and even when other water is used, a sufficient air cleaning effect (inactivation of viruses, sterilization, deodorization, etc.) Etc.).

In this case, a chemical (such as a halogen compound) may be supplied to the water introduced into the electrolytic cell 46. For example, the medicine supply device for supplying the medicine may be provided in the air sterilization apparatus 1, and the medicine supply device may inject the medicine into the water receiving tray 42 or directly into the electrolytic cell 46. It is good also as a structure which inject | pours. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which inject | pours a chemical | medical agent to the water supply tank 41, and it is good also as a structure which stores the chemical | medical agent which adjusted the density | concentration in the water supply tank 41 itself.
Here, salt or saline can be used as the drug. For example, if the concentration of the saline solution in the electrolytic cell 46 is adjusted to about 2 to 3% (weight percent), electrolysis containing hypochlorous acid or hydrogen peroxide by electrolyzing the salt solution in the electrolytic cell 46 Water (0.5-1%) can be produced. According to this configuration, even when the ionic species in the water introduced into the electrolytic cell 46 is dilute, by adding salt or saline, the ionic species can be increased and stable at high efficiency during electrolysis of water. Thus, reactive oxygen species can be generated.

  Then, the electrolyzed water dropped from the water spray box 51 onto the gas-liquid contact member 53 moves downward along the gas-liquid contact member 53 and falls into the water tray 42. The electrolyzed water that has fallen in the water receiving tray 42 is again pumped up by the circulation pump 44 and supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53 through the electrolytic bath 46. Thus, in the structure in this Embodiment, water becomes a circulation type, By using a small amount of water effectively, air disinfection can be performed efficiently over a long time. Further, when the amount of water circulating through the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 is reduced due to evaporation or the like, an appropriate amount of water in the water supply tank 41 is supplied to the water receiving tray 42.

Furthermore, in the air sterilizer 1, the water stored in the water tray 42 can be appropriately discharged.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, a tank-like drainage receptacle 57 having a predetermined depth is installed below the storage portion 42 </ b> A. The drainage receptacle 57 is placed on the support plate 37 (FIG. 2) and can be taken in and out from the drainage outlet 15 (FIG. 1) of the housing 11. In addition, a drain pipe 55 is connected to the storage portion 42 </ b> A of the water tray 42, and a drain valve 56 that opens and closes the drain pipe 55 is provided. The tip of the drain pipe 55 extends downward and enters an opening provided on the upper surface of the drain receiver 57.

  The bottom surface of the storage portion 42 </ b> A is opened at a connection portion with the drain pipe 55, and the water in the storage portion 42 </ b> A flows out to the drain pipe 55. For this reason, when the drain valve 56 is opened under the control of the control unit 60 (FIG. 8), the water in the water tray 42 flows down to the drain receiver 57 through the drain pipe 55. Thus, by using the drain pipe 55 branched from the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 and controlling the opening and closing of the drain valve 56, the water in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 can be collected and discharged by the drain receiver 57. The drainage receptacle 57 is provided with a handle 57A so as to be easily held, and can be easily taken in and out from the drainage outlet 15 (FIG. 1) described above.

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the air sterilization apparatus 1.
As shown in FIG. 8, the fan motor 32, the circulation pump 44, the drain valve 56, the louver drive motor 68 that opens and closes the louver 20, and the power supply unit 67 that supplies power to each of the above units are provided to the control unit 60. They are connected and operate according to the control of the control unit 60.
The control unit 60 is connected to various switches, indicator lamps and the like disposed on the operation panel 16, and electrolysis for detecting the water level in the water tray float switch 43, the electrodes 47 and 48, and the electrolytic bath 46. A tank float switch 66 is connected.

  The control unit 60 includes a microcomputer 61 that controls the entire air sterilizer 1, a storage unit 62 that stores data such as a control program executed by the microcomputer 61 and control parameters (for example, a set time T <b> 0 described later), and the microcomputer 61. A timer counter 63 that performs a time counting operation based on the control of the control unit, an input unit 64 that detects an operation on the operation panel 16 and outputs the operation content to the microcomputer 61, and an indicator lamp (illustrated) on the processing result of the microcomputer 61. An output unit 65 that outputs the light by controlling lighting of (omitted) is provided.

The microcomputer 61 reads and executes a control program stored in the storage unit 62 in advance, reads the control parameters stored in the storage unit 62, and operates each unit of the air sterilizer 1.
Specifically, the microcomputer 61 is operated to instruct operation start on the operation panel 16, and when information indicating this operation is input from the input unit 64, the microcomputer 61 operates the circulation pump 44 to supply water. In addition to starting the circulation, a predetermined voltage based on the power supply unit 67 is applied to the electrodes 47 and 48 to pass a current between the electrodes 47 and 48 to generate electrolyzed water.
Thereafter, the microcomputer 61 starts the operation of the fan motor 32 and starts air blowing by the blower fan 31. By the series of operations described above, the air sterilization operation of the air sterilization apparatus 1 is started. Along with the start of the air sterilization operation, the microcomputer 61 causes the output unit 65 to display that the operation is in progress.

  During the execution of the air sterilization operation, the microcomputer 61 adjusts the angle of the louver 20 by driving the louver drive motor 68 according to the operation on the operation panel 16. Further, the microcomputer 61 discriminates the concentration of the electrolyzed water in the electrolytic bath 46 (concentration of active oxygen species) based on the conductivity between the electrodes 47 and 48, and appropriately adjusts the voltage applied between the electrodes 47 and 48. To do. Further, the microcomputer 61 detects that the water level in the electrolytic cell 46 has become a low level by the electrolytic cell float switch 66 during the execution of the air sterilization operation of the air sterilization device 1, and a water tray. When it is detected by the float switch 43 that the water level of the water receiving tray 42 is low, the application of the voltage to the electrodes 47 and 48 is stopped and the operation of the circulation pump 44 and the fan motor 32 is stopped. A warning is displayed by the output unit 65.

  Further, the microcomputer 61 is operated to instruct operation stop on the operation panel 16. When information indicating this operation is input from the input unit 64, the microcomputer 61 stops the voltage application to the electrodes 47 and 48 and circulates. The pump 44 is stopped. Further, the microcomputer 61 stops the fan motor 32, stops the air blowing by the blower fan 31, and stops the display during operation by the output unit 65. By the series of operations described above, the air sterilization operation of the air sterilization apparatus 1 is stopped.

  When the air sterilization operation of the air sterilization apparatus 1 is stopped, the microcomputer 61 controls the timer counter 63 to start counting the operation stop time (stop time T). The timer counter 63 can cumulatively count the stop time T. When the air sterilization apparatus 1 starts the air sterilization operation, the timer counter 63 stops the count, but when the air sterilization operation is stopped again, The count is restarted from the count value before the operation starts. The timer counter 63 resets the count value when a reset is instructed by the microcomputer 61.

Further, the microcomputer 61 executes an ozone cleaning operation in which electrolytic water containing ozone is generated and circulated in the electrolytic bath 46.
In the air sterilization operation, the microcomputer 61 applies a voltage between the electrodes 47 and 48 so that the electrode 47 of the electrolytic cell 46 has a positive potential, and generates hypochlorous acid having a high sterilizing power from the electrode 47 side. Let On the other hand, during the ozone cleaning operation, the microcomputer 61 inverts the electrode and applies a voltage between the electrodes 47 and 48 so that the electrode 48 has a positive potential. As a result, in the electrolytic cell 46, ozone having a high sterilizing power is generated from the electrode 48 side, and hydrogen peroxide is generated from the electrode 47 side, and the electrolyzed water containing ozone circulates in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2. The ozone cleaning operation is executed at predetermined time intervals while the air sterilization apparatus 1 is stopped for the purpose of preventing the gas-liquid contact member 53 from drying and suppressing the propagation of germs and viruses in the gas-liquid contact member 53. The
Hereinafter, the ozone cleaning operation will be described.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the ozone cleaning operation.
First, when the operation of the air sterilizer 1 is stopped (step S11), the microcomputer 61 controls the timer counter 63 to start counting the stop time T of the air sterilizer 1 (step S12).
Subsequently, the microcomputer 61 drives the louver drive motor 68 to close the louver 20 (step S13), and monitors the stop time T counted by the timer counter 63 (step S14). Here, when the stop time T exceeds the set time T0 stored in advance in the storage unit 62 (step S14; Yes), the microcomputer 61 detects the state of the water tray float switch 43 (step S15).

When the water tray float switch 43 is ON (step S15; Yes), that is, when the water level of the water tray 42 is low, the process returns to step S14 because it is unsuitable for performing the ozone cleaning operation.
If the water pan float switch 43 is not turned on (step S15; No), the microcomputer 61 starts the operation of the circulation pump 44 (step S16), and then voltage is applied to the electrodes 47 and 48 of the electrolytic cell 46. Is applied to generate ozone (step S17).
As a result, electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated in the electrolyzer 46, and this electrolyzed water circulates in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2, so that the gas-liquid contact member 53 is prevented from being dried, and the electrolysis including the gas-liquid contact member 53 Viruses adhering to each part of the water circulation part 2 are inactivated, germs and the like are sterilized, and foreign substances such as odorous substances are decomposed, so that the cleanliness of the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 is maintained.

  The microcomputer 61 continues to operate for a predetermined time or a time designated by the operation of the operation panel 16 after starting the application of the voltage to the electrodes 47 and 48, and then stops the voltage application (step S1). S18), the circulation pump 44 is stopped (step S19). That is, the electrolyzed water containing ozone circulates in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 for a predetermined time or a time designated by operation of the operation panel 16.

  Thereafter, the microcomputer 61 resets the stop time T counted by the timer counter 63 (step S20). The timer counter 63 starts counting the stop time from the initial value (for example, zero), and the microcomputer 61 returns to the operation of step S14.

As described above, according to the air sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the louver 20 is provided in the air outlet 13 for discharging the air blown by the blower fan 31, and the air outlet 13 can be closed by the louver 20. Therefore, if the air outlet 13 is closed when the blower fan 31 is stopped, it is possible to reliably suppress the entry of foreign matter and unnecessary air circulation through the air outlet 13.
In addition, during the stop of the air sterilization operation, by generating electrolyzed water containing ozone and circulating the electrolyzed water circulation part 2, each part of the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 is sterilized and deodorized by the strong oxidizing action of ozone, A clean state can be maintained. Furthermore, in the normal air sterilization operation, electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid is generated by the electrolytic bath 46, and the electrodes are inverted in the ozone cleaning operation to generate electrolyzed water containing ozone and hydrogen peroxide. Each part of the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 is washed with a different type of active oxygen species from that during the air sterilization operation, and the cleanliness of the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 can be more reliably maintained.

  In addition, since ozone is a gas having a unique strong odor, the odor of ozone may cause a sense of discomfort to the user even if the amount is so small that the influence on the human body is not a problem. However, in the above embodiment, since the louver 20 is closed prior to the ozone cleaning operation, the odor of ozone hardly leaks out of the air sterilization apparatus 1, and the air sterilization apparatus 1 is installed. The indoor environment can be kept comfortable. Further, since the fan motor 32 is stopped during the ozone cleaning operation, the air blowing by the blower fan 31 is not performed. For this reason, the leakage of the odor to the exterior of the housing | casing 11 is suppressed more reliably and effectively.

  Furthermore, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the type of the active oxygen species contained in the electrolyzed water can be easily switched by reversing the polarity during the ozone cleaning operation. Electrolytic water containing ozone and electrolytic water containing other active oxygen species can be easily used without complication.

Further, by reversing the polarities of the electrodes 47 and 48 during the ozone cleaning operation, the scale deposited on the cathode electrode during the air sterilization operation is peeled off and removed from the electrodes.
During air sterilization operation, scales derived from inorganic substances (including ions) contained in water introduced into the electrolytic cell 46 (for example, calcium-based scales such as calcium carbonate and magnesium-based scales such as magnesium carbonate) are particularly cathodes. Deposit on the side electrode surface. When the scale is deposited on the electrode, the electrical conductivity is lowered, and continuous electrolysis becomes difficult. In the configuration of the present embodiment, since the scale deposited on the electrodes falls off by reversing the polarity during the ozone cleaning operation, it is possible to prevent the electrolytic efficiency in the electrodes 47 and 48 from being lowered. Therefore, the frequency of maintenance including the cleaning of the electrodes 47 and 48 can be greatly reduced, and the burden of labor and costs related to maintenance can be greatly reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the ozone cleaning operation is performed every preset time while the normal air sterilization operation is stopped has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, Even during the air sterilization operation, the ozone cleaning operation can be started in accordance with the operation of the operation panel 16.
Hereinafter, this example will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the ozone cleaning operation.
When the start of the ozone cleaning operation is instructed by operation of the operation panel 16 during the air sterilization operation of the air sterilization apparatus 1 (step S31), the microcomputer 61 stops the fan motor 32 and the circulation pump 44. The air sanitization operation is stopped by stopping the application of voltage to the electrodes 47 and 48 (step S32).
Subsequently, the microcomputer 61 drives the louver drive motor 68 to close the louver 20 (step S33), and detects the state of the water tray float switch 43 (step S34).

When it is detected that the water tray float switch 43 is on (step S34; Yes), the microcomputer 61 controls the output unit 65 to output a guide to replenish water with the water supply tank 41 (step S35). Return to step S34.
When it is detected that the water tray float switch 43 is not on (step S34; No), the microcomputer 61 starts the operation of the circulation pump 44 (step S36), and then applies a voltage to the electrodes 47 and 48 of the electrolytic cell 46. Ozone is generated (step S37).

  As a result, electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated in the electrolyzer 46, and this electrolyzed water circulates in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2, so that the gas-liquid contact member 53 is prevented from being dried and electrolysis including the gas-liquid contact member 53 is performed. Viruses adhering to each part of the water circulation part 2 are inactivated, germs and the like are sterilized, and foreign substances such as odorous substances are decomposed, so that the cleanliness of the electrolyzed water circulation part 2 is maintained.

The microcomputer 61 continues to operate for a predetermined time or a time designated by the operation of the operation panel 16 after starting the application of the voltage to the electrodes 47 and 48, and then stops the voltage application (step S1). S38), the circulation pump 44 is stopped (step S39). That is, the electrolyzed water containing ozone circulates in the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 for a predetermined time or a time designated by operation of the operation panel 16.
Thereafter, the microcomputer 61 controls the output unit 65 to notify the end of the ozone cleaning operation (step S40), ends all operations, and shifts to the stop state.

  In the example shown in FIG. 10, since the ozone cleaning operation can be executed at an arbitrary timing by operating the operation panel 16, cleaning of the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2 with electrolyzed water containing ozone, scale removal of the electrodes 47 and 48, etc. Maintenance of the air sterilizer 1 can be easily performed.

In the air sterilization apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, the microcomputer 61 controls the louver drive motor 68 to open the louver 20 at the start of the air sterilization operation, and to stop the air sterilization operation at the louver 20. Can be closed.
Further, instead of the ozone cleaning operation described above, electrolyzed water containing the same active oxygen species as that in the normal air sterilization operation may be generated and circulated through the electrolyzed water circulation unit 2. In this case, it is preferable to generate the active oxygen species at a higher concentration by controlling the current supplied to the electrodes 47 and 48 in order to exhibit a higher sterilizing effect or the like than in the air sterilization operation. Further, by closing the louver 20 and stopping the fan motor 32, it is possible to prevent the odor generated with the generation of high-concentration active oxygen species (hypochlorous acid, etc.) from leaking out of the housing 11. Therefore, the cleanliness can be maintained while keeping the indoor environment in which the air sterilizer 1 is installed in a comfortable state.

The air sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an aspect of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the air sterilization apparatus 1 can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, two types of electrodes 47 and 48 are provided as a pair of electrodes, and the polarities of the electrodes 47 and 48 are reversed, so that the types of active oxygen species contained in the generated electrolyzed water are as follows. Although it switched to chlorous acid, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide, the structure of the electrode provided in the electrolytic cell 46 is not limited to this.

  That is, two electrodes 47 may be connected in parallel and one electrode 48 may be used, and three electrodes may be disposed in the electrolytic cell 46. In addition, in the electrolytic cell 46, two third electrodes to which a negative potential is always applied are provided, and the electrode 47, the electrode 48, and the two third electrodes are respectively paired. A voltage may be applied between the third electrode and between the electrode 48 and the third electrode to electrolyze water. Here, as the third electrode, platinum, carbon (C), stainless steel (Fe—Cr— (Ni) alloy), or the like may be used.

  Also, a plurality of electrolytic cells 46 are provided, and one electrolytic cell 46 is inserted with an electrode 47 and a third electrode as a pair of electrodes, and the other electrolytic cell 46 is provided with an electrode 48 and a third electrode. May be inserted as a pair of electrodes, and the electrolytic bath 46 for electrolyzing tap water may be appropriately switched to switch the type of active oxygen species contained in the electrolytic water to be dropped or permeated into the gas-liquid contact member 53.

In this manner, a third electrode may be newly provided, and the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 may be switched to make a pair with the third electrode. In this case, it is preferable to alternately switch the electrode paired with the third electrode to the electrode 47 and the electrode 48. In addition, it is particularly preferable to generate hypochlorous acid and ozone as active oxygen species by switching the electrode paired with the third electrode to the electrode 47 and the electrode 48 in this way.
Furthermore, the electrode may be a plate-like electrode, or may be a rod or other shape.

  In the above embodiment, the active oxygen species is generated using the chlorine ions contained in the tap water by electrolyzing the tap water in the electrolytic cell 46, but ozone is generated by the air discharge. It is good also as a structure provided with the ozone production | generation apparatus to perform, dissolving the ozone produced | generated by this ozone production | generation apparatus in water, and supplying to the gas-liquid contact member 53. FIG. The ozone generation device in this case may be configured to supply the generated ozone to the electrolytic cell 46, or supply the ozone generated by the ozone generation device to the electrolyzed water generated in the electrolyzer 46 so that ozone is supplied to the electrolyzed water. It is good also as a structure dissolved. According to such a configuration, even when the ion species of tap water introduced into the electrolytic cell 46 is dilute and it is difficult to generate ozone by electrolysis of tap water, it contains ozone as an active oxygen species. Electrolyzed water can be generated and dropped or penetrated into the gas-liquid contact member.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was set as the water supply system by the water tank 41 which can be taken in and out, instead of this water tank 41, it is good also as a water pipe water supply system which connects a water pipe and guides city water directly, for example. Needless to say.

  Furthermore, although the case where electrolyzed water is dropped on the gas-liquid contact member 53 has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gas-liquid contact member 53 may suck up the electrolyzed water. In this case, for example, in the water tray 42 for storing the electrolyzed water, the lower edge portion of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is positioned below the water level of the electrolyzed water, and the lower part of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is submerged, so-called capillary phenomenon. Alternatively, the electrolyzed water may be sucked into the gas-liquid contact member 53 to infiltrate the electrolyzed water.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the air sanitization apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of an air sanitizer. It is a partially broken front view which shows the internal structure of an air sanitizer. It is a left side sectional view showing an internal configuration of an air sterilizer. It is a right side sectional view showing the internal configuration of the air sterilizer. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of an air sanitizer. It is a figure explaining the mode of supply of electrolyzed water, (A) is a mimetic diagram showing the composition of an electrolyzed water circulation part, and (B) is a figure showing the composition of an electrolysis tank in detail. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of an air sterilizer. It is a flowchart which shows an ozone cleaning driving | operation in detail. It is a flowchart which shows another example of an ozone cleaning driving | operation in detail.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air sanitizer 2 Electrolyzed water circulation part 11 Housing | casing 12 Suction grill 13 Air outlet (discharge port)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Water supply tank outlet 15 Outlet 16 Operation panel 17 Grip part 20 Louver 31 Blower fan 31A Blower 32 Fan motor 34 Prefilter 35 Outlet filter 38 Air guide plate 39 Electrical box 41 Water supply tank 42 Water tray 42A Reservoir 43 Water Dish float switch 44 Circulating pump 46 Electrolytic tank 47, 48 Electrode 51 Sprinkling box 53 Gas-liquid contact member 55 Drain pipe 56 Drain valve 57 Drain receiver 60 Control unit 61 Microcomputer 62 Storage unit 63 Timer counter 64 Input unit 65 Output unit 66 Electrolytic tank Float switch 67 Power supply unit 68 Louver drive motor (drive means)

Claims (5)

Electrolyzing water in an electrolytic cell to generate electrolyzed water, infiltrating the generated electrolyzed water into the gas-liquid contact member, and sending the air to the gas-liquid contact member by a blower fan to sterilize the air In the fungus device,
Provided a louver capable of closing the discharge port at the discharge port for discharging the air blown by the blower fan to the outside of the device,
An air sterilizer characterized by.   The air sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a driving unit that rotates the louver with respect to the opening surface of the discharge port and holds an arbitrary angular position with respect to the opening surface. .   The air sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated by the electrolyzer, the discharge port is closed by the louver.   3. The air sterilization according to claim 1, wherein when the electrolyzed water containing ozone is generated by the electrolyzer, the blowing by the blower fan is stopped and the discharge port is closed by the louver. apparatus. The electrolytic cell has a configuration in which electrolyzed water is generated by applying a voltage between a plurality of electrodes, and is generated by switching between ozone and other active oxygen species by inverting the potential of the plurality of electrodes. The air disinfecting apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it is possible.

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