JP2009118903A - Air sterilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air sterilizing device capable of inhibiting growth of scale in a gas-liquid contact member to the air suction side and inhibiting decline of sterilization efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The air sterilization device 1 comprises an electrolytic tub 46 for generating electrolytic water including active oxygen species by electrolyzing water, and the gas-liquid contact member 53 to which the electrolytic water generated in the electrolytic tub 46 is fed. The air sterilizing device 1 sterilizes air by feeding air to the gas-liquid contact member 53 by a blower fan 31 and bringing the air into contact with the electrolytic water in the gas-liquid contact member 53. The air sterilizing device 1 also comprises a horizontally long brush unit 90 extending to the air intake side of the gas-liquid contact member 53 and a driving mechanism 91 for driving the brush unit 90 in the vertical direction between the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member 53. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,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 or the like to generate electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid and uses this electrolyzed water to remove viruses floating in the air (for example, , See Patent Document 1). This sterilization apparatus supplies electrolyzed water to a gas-liquid contact member made of a nonwoven fabric or the like, and contacts viruses or the like in the air with the electrolyzed water on the gas-liquid contact member, thereby inactivating the virus or the like. Is intended to sterilize.
JP 2007-175140 A

By the way, since water such as tap water contains hardness components (Ca ions, Mg ions, etc.) and silica components (SiO ₂ ), when air sterilization operation is performed over a long period of time, these The hardness component and the silica component may be deposited as a scale on the gas-liquid contact member.
In particular, dust mixed in the blown air easily adheres to the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member, and when the scale grows around the dust with the dust as a core, the gas-liquid contact member is ventilated. There was a problem that the sterilization efficiency was reduced.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air sterilization apparatus that suppresses the growth of scale on the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member, and thus suppresses the decrease in sterilization efficiency.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes an electrolytic cell that electrolyzes water to generate electrolyzed water containing active oxygen species, and a gas-liquid contact member that is supplied with the electrolyzed water generated in the electrolytic cell. In the air sterilization device for sterilizing the air by sending air to the gas-liquid contact member by a blower fan and bringing the electrolyzed water and the air into contact with the gas-liquid contact member, A horizontally long brush unit extending to the air suction side, and a drive mechanism for driving the brush unit up and down between an upper end and a lower end of the gas-liquid contact member are provided.

  According to this configuration, since the brush unit extending to the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member is driven up and down between the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member by the operation of the drive mechanism, the brush unit The scale generated on the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member is removed. For this reason, the growth of the scale toward the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member is suppressed, so that the amount of ventilation of the gas-liquid contact member is ensured. Bacteria can be sterilized, and the suppression of sterilization efficiency can be suppressed.

  In this configuration, the drive mechanism includes a rack disposed on both sides of the gas-liquid contact member, a pinion that meshes with the rack and interlocks with the brush unit, and a pinion drive motor that rotationally drives the pinion. It is good also as a structure provided.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with the water receiving tray which receives the water which flows down from the said gas-liquid contact member, and this water receiving tray extended below the said brush unit.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with the control means which drives the said drive mechanism for every predetermined period. Further, when the driving mechanism is driven, the control means may stop the blower fan and supply electrolytic water or water to the gas-liquid contact member.

  According to the present invention, the brush unit that extends to the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member by the operation of the drive mechanism is driven up and down between the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member. The scale generated on the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member is removed. For this reason, since the growth of the scale toward the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member is suppressed, the amount of ventilation of the gas-liquid contact member is ensured, so that the air passing through the gas-liquid contact member is sufficiently removed. Bacteria can be sterilized, and the suppression of sterilization efficiency can be suppressed.

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, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the air sterilization apparatus 1.
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. In the housing 11, a suction grill 12 is formed in the lower part of both side surfaces of the housing 11, and a suction port 15 is formed in the lower end portion of the front surface of the housing 11.
Moreover, the blower outlet 13 is formed in the upper surface of the housing | casing 11, and the louver 20 for changing the direction which blows off air is provided in the blower outlet 13. FIG. The louver 20 is configured to close the air outlet 13 when operation is stopped.
The air sterilizer 1 sucks and sterilizes the air in the installation room through the suction grill 12 and the suction port 15, and exhausts the sterilized air from the air outlet 13 to clean the room air. Device.

As shown in FIG. 2, an operation lid 16A disposed on the front side of the air outlet 13 and a tank opening / closing lid 14A disposed side by side on the operation lid 16A are formed on the upper surface of the housing 11. Yes. When the operation lid 16A is opened, the operation panel 16 for performing various operations of the air sterilization apparatus 1 is exposed, and when the tank opening / closing lid 14A is opened, a water supply tank 41 described later can be taken in and out through the tank outlet 14. ing.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, gripping portions 17 are formed on the upper portions of both side surfaces of the housing 11. These gripping portions 17 are concave portions for holding the case 11 by hand, and the air sterilizer 1 can be lifted and moved by one person during transportation.
Further, an upper cover member 18 and a lower cover member 19 arranged in the vertical direction are detachably arranged on the front surface (one side surface) of the housing 11, respectively. The upper cover member 18 and the lower cover member When 19 is removed, the internal structure of the housing 11 is exposed. The lower cover member 19 includes an arc portion 19A that is curved toward the back side of the housing 11 at the lower end of the lower cover member 19, and the suction port 15 is formed in the arc portion 19A. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 11 is provided with a support plate 21 that divides the interior of the housing 11 into upper and lower portions, and is divided into an upper chamber 22 and a lower chamber 23. In the lower chamber 23, a blower fan 31 and a fan motor 32 are arranged, and a drainage tank 57 having a handle 57 </ b> A is accommodated through the partition plate 24 so as to be drawn out to the front side of the housing 11. ing. The blower fan 31, the fan motor 32, and the drainage tank 57 are arranged side by side.
A pre-filter 34 is detachably disposed between the blower fan 31 and the suction port 15, that is, at a position facing the lower cover member 19 (FIG. 1) in the lower chamber 23. The pre-filter 34 collects a large particle size such as dust in the air sucked through the suction grill 12 and the suction port 15, and passes through the first filter 25, for example, a particle size of 10 (Μm) and a second filter 26 that collects the above objects. Pollen and dust floating in the air are removed by the prefilter 34, and the removed air is supplied to the upper chamber 22 via the blower fan 31.

On the other hand, in the upper chamber 22, an electrical box 39 is disposed above the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 32, and the electrical box 39 has a control unit (control means) 60 for controlling the air sterilizer 1 (FIG. 5). And various electric parts such as a power supply circuit for supplying a power supply voltage to the fan motor 32 are accommodated.
Above the electrical box 39, a gas-liquid contact member 53 that displaces air by bringing the passing air into contact with the electrolyzed water is disposed. Below the gas-liquid contact member 53, a water receiving tray 42 including a water receiving portion 42A that receives the electrolyzed water dropped from the gas-liquid contact member 53 is disposed. The water receiving tray 42 includes a storing portion 42B formed deeper than the water receiving portion 42A, and the storing portion 42B can store a large amount of electrolyzed water. The storage unit 42B is configured such that the electrolyzed water dropped into the water receiving unit 42A flows therein, and the electrolytic water is stored in the storage unit 42B. Further, the reservoir 42B extends above the drain tank 57.
Further, a water supply tank 41 is disposed on the storage part 42B, and water can be supplied from the water supply tank 41 to the storage part 42B. Specifically, the water supply port formed at the lower end of the water supply tank 41 is provided with a float valve, and when the water level of the storage portion 42B is below the water supply port, the float valve is opened to thereby provide the water supply tank 41. Thus, a necessary amount of water is supplied, and the water level of the reservoir 42B is kept constant.

Next, the flow of air in the air sterilizer 1 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the air sterilization apparatus 1.
As described above, the blower fan 31 is provided in the lower chamber 23 of the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the blower port 31 </ b> A of the blower fan 31 is provided upward in the rear side portion of the housing 11, and communicates with a space 1 </ b> A as an air path extending vertically on the back side of the upper chamber 22. The space 1 </ b> A includes a first air guide member 81 disposed on the back side of the housing 11, and an air guide plate 84 disposed opposite to the first air guide member 81 and extending from the support plate 21 to the water tray 42. It is formed by. 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. 3 and is blown to the back surface of the gas-liquid contact member 53.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas-liquid contact member 53 is passed through the gas-liquid contact member 53 into the space 1B on the side opposite to the space 1A (in this embodiment, the front side of the housing 11). A second air guide member 83 that guides air to the air outlet 13 is disposed. The second air guide member 83 is formed in a substantially box shape having an upper surface portion and a back surface portion opened.
In addition to the function of guiding the air in the space 1B to the air outlet 13, the second air guide member 83 has a function of receiving water (so-called flying water) blown into the space 1B together with the air from the gas-liquid contact member 53. Have. Specifically, the bottom surface 83 </ b> A on the inner side of the second air guide member 83 is inclined toward the gas-liquid contact member 53 and is formed so as to guide the water that has jumped out of the second air guide member 83 to the water receiving tray 42. Has been. The air that has passed through the gas-liquid contact member 53 is exhausted through the air outlet filter 36 that is guided to the inner surface 83B of the second air guide member 83 and disposed below the air outlet 13.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part for generating and circulating electrolyzed water.
In the present embodiment, electrolyzed water for sterilizing air is circulated and used repeatedly. The outline of the circulation will be described. The tap water supplied to the reservoir 42B as a raw material for the electrolytic water is supplied to the electrolytic tank 46 by the circulation pump 44 for circulating the electrolytic water, and the tap water is electrolyzed by the electrolytic tank 46. The electrolyzed water generated in this manner is returned and stored again in the storage unit 42B, and then supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53 by the circulation pump 44, and then the electrolyzed water used for sterilization flows down to the water receiving unit 42A. The electrolyzed water that has flowed from the water receiving part 42A to the storage part 42B is again supplied to the electrolytic cell 46 by the circulation pump 44, and the circulation of the electrolyzed water is repeated. Thus, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the electrolyzed water is a circulation type, and by effectively using a small amount of water, it is possible to efficiently sterilize air over a long period of time.

  The water receiving tray 42 is configured by integrally forming a water receiving portion 42A and a storage portion 42B. The water receiving part 42A is formed one step higher than the storage part 42B, and the electrolyzed water that has flowed from the gas-liquid contact member 53 to the water receiving part 42A flows into the storage part 42B. A filter 74 that collects solid matter (scale) contained in the water that has flowed down from the gas-liquid contact member 53 is disposed in the flow path of the electrolyzed water from the water receiving portion 42A to the storage portion 42B.

  Circulation pump 44 is disposed such that its suction port is below the water surface of reservoir 42 </ b> B, and discharges the electrolytic water through water pipe 71 connected to the discharge port of circulation pump 44. The water distribution pipe 71 branches into two paths, and in one path, the circulation pump 44 is connected to the electrolytic cell 46 via a branch pipe 72 branched and connected to the water distribution pipe 71, and in the other path, The water distribution pipe 71 is connected to the gas-liquid contact member 53 located at the terminal end extending toward the water receiving portion 42A.

In one path, the electrolyzed water supplied to the electrolytic cell 46 through the branch pipe 72 is electrolyzed by the 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 is applied between the electrodes to electrolyze water to generate electrolyzed water. In the present embodiment, electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid as a sterilizing component is generated by electrolyzing tap water. A discharge port 46A for discharging the electrolyzed water generated in the electrolyzer 46 is formed on the upper surface of the electrolyzer 46, and a return pipe 73 for sending the electrolyzed water to the storage part 42B is connected to the discharge port 46A. . The return pipe 73 extends in the lateral direction from the discharge port 46 </ b> A and then turns downward. The lower end of the return pipe 73 is located above the filter 74. The electrolyzed water is refluxed so as to be poured directly into the filter 74 from the lower end of the return pipe 73, and when passing through the filter 74, the scale and the like are removed and stored in the storage unit 42B. In addition, it is good also as a structure by which the electrolyzed water which flows out from the return pipe 73 is recirculated | refluxed to the water receiving part 42A upstream of the filter 74. In this case, since the electrolyzed water poured from the return pipe 73 to the water receiving portion 42A flows to the storage portion 42B via the filter 74 as in the case described above, the scale can be removed.
Moreover, in this embodiment, it is comprised so that the water stored by the storage part 42B can be discharged | emitted suitably. Specifically, a drain pipe 55 (FIG. 5) is connected to the lower portion of the storage section 42B, and a drain valve 56 (FIG. 5) for opening and closing the drain pipe 55 is provided. The tip of the drain pipe 55 extends above the drain tank 57, and the water on the water receiving tray 42 is discharged to the drain tank 57 by opening the drain valve 56.

  A watering box 51 for dispersing electrolyzed water uniformly on the gas-liquid contact member 53 is assembled on the gas-liquid contact member 53. The water spray box 51 includes a tray member (not shown) that temporarily stores electrolyzed water. A plurality of water spray holes (not shown) are opened on the side surface of the tray member, and supplied through a water distribution pipe 71. Electrolyzed water is dripped with respect to the gas-liquid contact member 53 from this watering hole.

  And when the gas-liquid contact member 53 supplied with the electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid is sent air by blowing air, when the air passes through the gas-liquid contact member 53, the virus etc. floating in the air Since the virus and the like are inactivated by contact with the electrolyzed water, the air can be sterilized, and the propagation of germs in the gas-liquid contact member 53 itself can be prevented. In addition, when the odor passes through the gas-liquid contact member 53, it reacts with hypochlorous acid in the electrolyzed water, is ionized and dissolved in the electrolyzed water, and is removed from the air. it can.

  The gas-liquid contact member 53 is a filter 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 plate member and the flat plate member. Therefore, a wide gas contact area is ensured when air is passed through the element portion, electrolysis water can be dripped, and the structure is difficult to clog.

In addition, a diversion sheet (not shown) is disposed on the upper surface of the gas-liquid contact member 53 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.
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 (active oxygen substance) described later and the room air is maintained for a long time.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the circulation path of the electrolyzed water, and FIG. With reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the supply of electrolyzed water to the gas-liquid contact member 53 will be described. 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 storage part 42B of the water tray 42 as described above, and the water level of the storage part 42B is predetermined. Reach the level. The water in the reservoir 42 </ b> B is pumped up by the circulation pump 44 and a part thereof is supplied to the electrolytic cell 46. As shown in FIG. 6, this electrolytic cell 46 is provided with a pair of electrodes 47, 48, one of which is positive and the other is negative. By applying a voltage between these electrodes 47, 48, The flowing tap water is electrolyzed to generate electrolyzed water containing active oxygen species. Here, the active oxygen species are oxygen having higher oxidation activity than normal oxygen and related substances, such as superoxide anion, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, or hydrogen peroxide, in a narrow sense. The active oxygen includes so-called broad active oxygen such as ozone and hypohalous acid.

The electrodes 47 and 48 are, for example, electrode plates in which the base is made of titanium (Ti) and the coating layer is made of iridium (Ir) and platinum (Pt). It is set to be in the range of mA (milliampere) / cm ² (square centimeter) to several tens of mA / cm ² to generate a predetermined free residual chlorine concentration (for example, 1 mg (milligram) / l (liter)).

Specifically, when the tap water is energized by the electrodes 47 and 48, the cathode electrode
4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ + (4OH ⁻ ) → 2H ₂ + (4OH ⁻ )
And the anode electrode
2H ₂ O → 4H ⁺ + O ₂ + 4e ⁻
As soon as the reaction of
Chloride ion contained in water (Cl ^-: those previously added in tap water),
2Cl ⁻ → Cl ₂ + 2e ⁻
As a result, chlorine (Cl ₂ ) is generated. Furthermore, this chlorine reacts with water,
Cl ₂ + H ₂ O → HClO + HCl
Hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) are generated.

  Hypochlorous acid generated at the anode electrode 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. Thus, when electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid is dropped from the water spray box 51 onto the gas-liquid contact member 53, the air blown out by the blower fan 31 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.

  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 active oxygen species in the gas-liquid contact member 53, so that the infection is prevented.

  Therefore, even if this air sterilization apparatus 1 is installed in a so-called large space such as a kindergarten, elementary / middle / high school, long-term care insurance facility, hospital, etc. Etc.) can be spread widely in the large space, and air sterilization and deodorization in the large space can be performed efficiently.

  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 to the water receiving portion 42 </ b> A of the water receiving tray 42. The electrolyzed water that has fallen into the water receiving portion 42A flows into the storage portion 42B, is pumped up again by the circulation pump 44, and is supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53 through the electrolytic bath 46. When the amount of water stored in the storage unit 42B is reduced due to evaporation or the like, an appropriate amount of water in the water supply tank 41 is supplied to the storage unit 42B.

By the way, since water such as tap water contains hardness components (Ca ions, Mg ions, etc.) and silica components (SiO ₂ ), when air sterilization operation is performed over a long period of time, these The hardness component and the silica component may be deposited on the gas-liquid contact member 53 as a scale. In particular, dust mixed in the blown air easily adheres to the air suction side surface 53A (see FIG. 3) of the gas-liquid contact member 53, and when the scale grows around the dust using the dust as a core. The ventilation of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is inhibited, and the sterilization efficiency is reduced.
In order to prevent this, in the present embodiment, a cleaning mechanism 88 for removing the scale attached to the gas-liquid contact member 53 is provided. As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning mechanism 88 includes a horizontally long brush unit 90 extending over the entire width of the gas-liquid contact member 53, and the brush unit 90 between the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member 53. And a gear-type drive mechanism 91 that is driven up and down.

As shown in FIG. 7, the brush unit 90 includes a rotating brush 92 and a transmission gear 93 provided at one end of a shaft portion 92 </ b> A of the rotating brush 92. The rotating brush 92 has substantially the same width as the gas-liquid contact member 53 and is formed of a material (for example, PET resin) that is less deteriorated by electrolyzed water. The rotary brush 92 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (pinion drive motor) 98 described later of the drive mechanism 91, and removes dust and scale attached to the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member 53.
The drive mechanism 91 is provided at one end of the shaft unit 96 and a pair of left and right racks 94 disposed at both ends of the gas-liquid contact member 53, a shaft unit 96 having a pinion 95 that meshes with the pair of racks 94. The connecting gear 97 that meshes with the transmission gear 93 of the brush unit 90 described above, and a drive motor 98 that interlocks the brush unit 90 and the drive mechanism 91 via the transmission gear 93. The operation of the drive motor 98 is controlled by the control unit 60 described above. Specifically, the drive mechanism 91 includes limit switches (not shown) for detecting the position of the brush unit 90 at the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member 53, respectively, and the control unit 60 is detected by the detection of this limit switch. Changes the rotational direction of the drive motor 98. As a result, the brush unit 90 can be moved in the vertical direction.
A pair of left and right guide plates 100 having guide grooves 100 </ b> A for guiding the brush unit 90 up and down along the rack 94 are disposed at both ends of the gas-liquid contact member 53. The rotating brush 92 and the shaft unit 96 of the brush unit 90 are connected by a transmission gear 93 and a connecting gear 97, and both the shaft portion 92A of the rotating brush 92 and the shaft portion 96A of the shaft unit 96 are disposed in the guide groove 100A. . As a result, the brush unit 90 and the shaft unit 96 are held in a state where the pinion 95 of the shaft unit 96 is pressed against the rack 94 and meshes therewith.

As shown in FIG. 8, the transmission gear 93 is disposed closer to the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member 53 than the drive motor 98 in a side view, and the speed of the drive motor 98 is reduced to reduce the rotation gear 93. Power of the drive motor 98 is transmitted to a shaft unit 96 having a pinion 95 disposed above the shaft unit 96, and the brush unit 90 connected to the shaft unit 96 and the shaft unit 96 is moved along a rack 94 at a predetermined moving speed. To move up and down.
Further, since the transmission gear 93 is provided on the shaft portion 92A of the rotary brush 92 as described above, the transmission gear 93 is a deceleration that reduces the rotational speed of the drive motor 98 to the rotational speed for the rotary brush 92. It also functions as a gear. Therefore, the single drive motor 98 can drive the brush unit 90 up and down and the rotary brush 92 to rotate, and the number of motors required for the cleaning mechanism 88 can be reduced.

  Further, in this configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, the above-described water receiving tray 42 is configured to capture a scale formed by extending a water receiving portion 42 </ b> A that receives water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member 53 below the brush unit 90. Part 101 is provided. According to this, the scale removed from the gas-liquid contact member 53 by the rotation of the rotating brush 92 of the brush unit 90 is captured by the scale capturing unit 101 located below the brush unit 90. The trapped scale flows toward the storage portion 42B together with the electrolyzed water, but is collected by a filter 74 disposed at the boundary between the storage portion 42B and the water receiving portion 42A.

Next, the operation will be described.
The cleaning mechanism 88 of this structure is regularly implemented by the control of the control part 60, for example in the period when the driving | operation of the air sterilizer 1 at night is stopped. Specifically, the time for starting the cleaning mode of the cleaning mechanism 88 (for example, AM 0:00) is registered in the control unit 60 in advance, and at this time, the control unit 60 operates the drive motor 98. The gas-liquid contact member 53 is cleaned.
When executing this cleaning mode, the control unit 60 prevents the scale removed by the rotating brush 92 from adhering to the gas-liquid contact member 53 again by the blown air by stopping the blower fan 31. ing. Further, the control unit 60 starts the operation of the circulation pump 44 and supplies water to the gas-liquid contact member 53. According to this, the scale removed by the rotating brush 92 is guided onto the water receiving tray 42 together with the supplied water, and the scale can be easily collected. Further, along with the operation of the circulation pump 44, the electrodes 47 and 48 of the electrolytic bath 46 may be energized to supply electrolytic water to the gas-liquid contact member 53. According to this configuration, since the gas-liquid contact member 53 is sterilized by the electrolyzed water as well as removing the scale, the gas-liquid contact member 53 can be kept in a cleaner state.

  The control unit 60 drives the drive motor 98. For example, when the brush unit 90 is lowered (in the direction of arrow A), the rotating brush 92 rotates in the direction of scraping off the scale (in the direction of arrow X), so that the removed scale effectively accumulates in the water receiving tray 42. On the other hand, when the brush unit 90 is raised (in the direction of arrow B), the rotating brush 92 rotates in the direction of taking up the scale (in the direction of arrow Y). Here, it is desirable to provide a cover body (not shown) for preventing the scale from jumping on the rotating brush 92.

  For example, when the cleaning mechanism 88 has elapsed for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes), the control unit 60 stops the operation of the drive motor 98 and the circulation pump 44 and ends the cleaning mode. The trigger for ending the cleaning mode may be determined by the brush unit 90 reciprocating up and down a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times).

  According to the present embodiment, the brush unit 90 extending on the air suction side surface 53 </ b> A of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is driven up and down between the upper end and the lower end of the gas-liquid contact member 53 by the operation of the drive mechanism 91. Therefore, the brush unit 90 removes the scale generated on the air suction side surface 53A of the gas-liquid contact member 53. For this reason, since growth of the scale to the surface 53A on the air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is suppressed, a ventilation amount of the gas-liquid contact member 53 is ensured, so that the gas-liquid contact member 53 passes through the gas-liquid contact member 53. The air to be sterilized can be sufficiently sterilized, and the reduction of the sterilization efficiency can be suppressed.

  According to the present embodiment, the drive mechanism 91 includes a rack 94 formed integrally with the frame portions on both sides of the gas-liquid contact member 53, a pinion 95 that meshes with the rack 94 and interlocks with the brush unit 90, Since the drive motor 98 that rotationally drives the pinion 95 is provided, the brush unit 90 can be moved in the vertical direction of the gas-liquid contact member 53 with a simple configuration.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the water receiving tray 42 that receives the water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member 53 is provided, and the water receiving tray 42 includes the scale capturing unit 101 that extends below the brush unit. The scale removed from the liquid contact member 53 is captured by the scale capturing unit 101 located below the brush unit 90, and the scale is prevented from being scattered in the housing 11.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the control part 60 which drives the drive mechanism 91 for every predetermined period is provided, the operation | movement which removes a scale from the gas-liquid contact member 53 can be performed regularly, and gas-liquid contact Maintenance work of the member 53 can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the control unit 60 and the drive mechanism 91 are driven, the blower fan 31 is stopped and the electrolyzed water or water is supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53, so that the rotating brush of the brush unit 90 is used. The scale removed by 92 is guided onto the water tray 42 together with the supplied water, and the scale can be easily collected.

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, ozone (O ₃ ) or hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) may be generated as the active oxygen species. In this case, when a platinum tantalum electrode is used as the electrode, active oxygen species can be stably generated with high efficiency by electrolysis even if the ion species is dilute water.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the example which supplies tap water with the water supply tank 41 is demonstrated. Since a chlorine compound is added to tap water for the purpose of sterilization, it contains chloride ions, and these chloride ions react to produce hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid. 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 due to the addition or mixing of a halogen compound, the same reaction is performed to generate halogen. A reactive oxygen species containing is generated.
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, if a halogen compound (salt, etc.) is added to water with dilute ionic species, a similar reaction occurs, and active oxygen species can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, the brush unit 90 includes the rotating brush 92. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the brush unit 90 may be configured to remove the scale with a flat brush.
In the present embodiment, the drive mechanism 91 is configured to move the brush unit 90 up and down using the rack 94 and the pinion 95. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the upper end of the gas-liquid contact member 53 and A timing belt spanned endlessly between the lower end and the timing unit may be provided, and the brush unit may be moved up and down using the timing belt.

1 is an external perspective view of an air sterilization apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of an air sanitizer. It is a right side sectional view showing the internal configuration of the air sterilizer. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the principal part which produces | generates and circulates electrolyzed water. It is the schematic which shows the circulation path of electrolyzed water. It is a figure which shows the structure of an electrolytic vessel in detail. It is an exploded view which shows the structure of the cleaning mechanism. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of the cleaning mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air sanitization apparatus 31 Blower fan 42 Water receiving tray 42A Water receiving part 42B Storage part 44 Circulation pump 46 Electrolytic tank 47, 48 Electrode 53 Gas-liquid contact member 60 Control part 88 Cleaning mechanism 90 Brush unit 91 Drive mechanism 92 Rotary brush 93 Shifting Gear 94 Rack 95 Pinion 96 Shaft unit 97 Connecting gear 98 Drive motor 100 Guide plate 100A Guide groove 101 Scale capturing part

Claims (5)

An electrolyzer that electrolyzes water to generate electrolyzed water containing active oxygen species, and a gas-liquid contact member to which electrolyzed water generated in the electrolyzer is supplied. In an air sterilization apparatus that sends air and sterilizes the air by contacting the electrolyzed water and the air with the gas-liquid contact member,
A horizontally long brush unit extending to an air suction side of the gas-liquid contact member, and a drive mechanism for driving the brush unit up and down between an upper end and a lower end of the gas-liquid contact member. Air sanitizer.   The drive mechanism includes a rack disposed on both sides of the gas-liquid contact member, a pinion that meshes with the rack and interlocks with the brush unit, and a pinion drive motor that rotationally drives the pinion. The air disinfection device according to claim 1.   The air sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a water receiving tray for receiving water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member, and extending the water receiving tray below the brush unit.   The air sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising control means for driving the driving mechanism at predetermined intervals.   5. The air sterilizer according to claim 4, wherein when the drive mechanism is driven, the control unit stops the blower fan and supplies electrolytic water or water to the gas-liquid contact member.

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