JP2010051948A - Filter cleaning mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filter cleaning mechanism enhancing both reliability in removal work of dust attached to a filter and durability, while employing relatively simple and inexpensive structure. <P>SOLUTION: The filter cleaning mechanism 200 includes a window 210 for passing air; the filter 110 removing dust in air passing through the window 210; a window frame 220 with the filter 110 attached thereto and movable with respect to the window 210; and a brush roller 230 coming in contact with the filter 110 during movement of the window frame 220 and removing dust attached to the filter 110 while rotating. The brush roller 230 rotates only when the window frame 220 moves in one direction, and idles when the window frame 220 moves in the reverse direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a filter cleaning mechanism, and more particularly to a filter cleaning mechanism suitable for application to an air cleaning device for home medical equipment, for example.

  The air cleaning device basically starts with a vacuum cleaner, and a device using a filter is generally used. The air cleaning device needs to maintain a cleaning capability while adsorbing dust floating in the sucked air by a filter. Filter clogging significantly reduces the air cleaning function. If the filter is left clogged, the air cleaning device will not function at all, and the air cleaning function will not be effective.

  There are various methods for eliminating clogging of the filter, from a mechanism that applies vibration to the filter to separate and remove dust, and a method in which the filter itself is replaced with a new one if it does not function as a filter. Have been proposed.

  As a recent air conditioner (air conditioner), when a filter in the air purifier is clogged, it automatically detects the clogged filter and automatically activates the filter cleaning mechanism. It even introduces the sale of products with functions.

  Among the technologies relating to such an air cleaning function, there is a method of peeling and sucking dust adhering to a filter. However, the disadvantage is that the structure is complicated and expensive.

As a relatively simple and inexpensive method, there is a method in which a brush roller having an order is brought into contact with a filter to remove dust attached to the filter (Patent Document 1). With this method, clogging can be efficiently and reliably eliminated at low cost.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-161815 JP 2006-153427 A

  However, this method has a drawback in the durability of the brush roller, and there is a drawback that the dust attached to the filter may not be removed when the brush roller having a normal order is worn or worn. It was.

  In particular, air cleaning devices for home medical devices have recently been demanded for strict air cleaning due to deterioration of living environment. In the field of home medical equipment, both the demand for air cleaning (request for cleanliness) and the requirement for maintenance of cleanliness have become strong, and it is required to maintain a stable air cleaning capacity for a long period of time.

  In order to make this demand possible, home medical devices and air conditioners that have a function of automatically detecting filter clogging in the air purifier and automatically cleaning the filter have also appeared (Patent Literature). 2). However, even in these cases, the structure tends to be complicated and expensive.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to improve reliability and durability in removing dust adhered to a filter while adopting a relatively simple and inexpensive structure. An object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaning mechanism that can be used.

  The filter cleaning mechanism of the present invention includes a window through which air passes, a filter that removes dust from the air that passes through the window, a window frame to which the filter is attached and movable with respect to the window, and the window frame A brush roller that removes dust adhering to the filter while contacting and rotating during the movement of the filter, and the brush roller rotates only when the window frame moves in one direction. A configuration is adopted in which the window frame rotates idly when moving in the opposite direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve both reliability and durability in removing dust attached to a filter while adopting a relatively simple and inexpensive structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, the case where the filter cleaning mechanism according to the present invention is applied to, for example, an oxygen concentrator which is one of home medical devices will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing the appearance of an oxygen concentrator having a filter cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a rear perspective view showing a state where a cover is attached to the filter cleaning mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a state where the filter cleaning mechanism is removed from the oxygen concentrator shown in FIG. FIG.

  The oxygen concentrator 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is of a type mainly used in home oxygen therapy, and includes a filter 110, an intake tank, a compressor, a sieve bed, a pressure, which are necessary for producing high-concentration oxygen. An internal configuration including a sensor or the like (none of which is shown) is housed in the housing 120. Since the internal configuration of the oxygen concentrator 100 may be the same as that of a conventional oxygen concentrator, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

  The housing 120 is made of, for example, resin and is reduced in weight. Note that the casing 120 itself can be provided with sound insulation by making the casing 120 wooden. Moreover, since the main installation place of the oxygen concentrator 100 is in the patient's home, the casing 120 is formed thin in order to save space.

  In addition, an air inlet 130 for introducing external air into the housing 120 as raw air is formed on the back surface of the housing 120. The filter 110 is disposed outside the air inlet 130 and removes dust of air introduced into the housing 120 through the air inlet 130.

  Further, the filter cleaning mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is attached to the back surface of the housing 120 so as to surround the air inlet 130. The filter 110 is incorporated in the filter cleaning mechanism 200 and is disposed outside the air inlet 130 integrally with the filter cleaning mechanism 200. As will be described in detail later, the dust removed from the filter 110 by the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is dropped into the dust box 140.

  A housing 150 for housing the filter cleaning mechanism 200 and the dust box 140 is formed on the back surface of the housing 120. The filter cleaning mechanism 200 and the dust box 140 housed in the housing portion 150 are held in the housing 120 by the cover 160.

  Next, the configuration of the filter cleaning mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  Here, FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the filter cleaning mechanism 200 in which the filter 110 is incorporated, and FIG. 3B is a dust box 140 below the filter cleaning mechanism 200 in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned. 4 (A) is a front view of the filter cleaning mechanism 200 of FIG. 3 (A), FIG. 4 (B) is a left side view thereof, and FIG. 4 (C) is a right side view thereof. . FIG. 5 is a rear view of the filter cleaning mechanism 200 of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the filter 110 alone.

  This filter cleaning mechanism 200 removes dust that has adhered to the window 210 through which the air passes, the filter 110 that removes dust from the air that passes through the window 210, the window frame 220 to which the filter 110 is attached, and the filter 110. The brush roller 230 and a metal blade 240 (peeling means) for scraping off dust adhering to the brush roller 230 are provided.

  The window frame 220 is movable up and down electrically with respect to the window 210. As will be described later, when the filter 110 is cleaned, the window frame 220 reciprocates up and down between the upper limit position and the lower limit position (during operation), and when the filter 110 is not cleaned, the window frame 220 stops at the upper limit position. (When stopped).

  The brush roller 230 has an order and removes the dust adhering to the filter 110 while rotating and contacting the filter 110 while the window frame 220 is moving. In the present embodiment, the brush roller 230 is fixed to be electrically rotatable. However, the brush roller 230 rotates only when the window frame 220 moves in one direction (here, when the window frame 220 is lifted), and when the window frame 220 moves in the opposite direction (here, the window frame 220 of the window frame 220). It is configured to idle when it is lowered. For this reason, the rotating portion of the brush roller 230 incorporates a one-way clutch (not shown) that rotates only in one direction.

  Further, brush hairs in the order of the rotation direction are planted on the brush roller 230 (see FIG. 10 described later).

  The window frame 220 and the brush roller 230 are driven by one motor 250. Specifically, the window frame 220 is driven in the vertical direction by the motor 250 via a rack-and-pinion power transmission mechanism 260. The brush roller 230 is rotationally driven only in one direction by the motor 250 via a power transmission mechanism 270 mainly composed of gears. At this time, in the present embodiment, a predetermined speed difference is provided between the moving speed of the window frame 220 and the rotational speed of the brush roller 230. Specifically, the power transmission mechanisms 260 and 270 are adjusted so that the rotational speed of the brush roller 230 is higher than the moving speed of the window frame 220.

  The metal blade 240 is a comb-shaped component, contacts the brush roller 230, and scrapes off dust attached to the brush roller 230 as the brush roller 230 rotates. Note that dust scraped off from the brush roller 230 by the metal blade 240 falls into the dust box 140. The metal blade 240 is composed of, for example, a comb-shaped metal part.

  Next, the operation of the filter cleaning mechanism 200 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Here, FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is stopped, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state in which the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is operating. 8A is a perspective view showing a state in which the dust box 140 is disposed below the filter cleaning mechanism 200 of FIG. 7A, and FIG. 8B is a filter cleaning mechanism 200 of FIG. 7B. It is a perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the dust box 140 in the lower part. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is stopped as viewed from the side, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is operating as viewed from the side. is there. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining the principle of operation of the filter cleaning mechanism 200. FIG. 10A shows a case where the window frame 220 is lowered, and FIG. 10B shows a case where the window frame is raised. Indicates when.

  When the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is stopped, the window frame 220 is at the upper limit position (see FIGS. 7A, 8A, and 9A).

  On the other hand, during the operation of the filter cleaning mechanism 200, the window frame 220 has an upper limit position (see FIGS. 7A, 8A, and 9A) and a lower limit position (FIGS. 7B and 8). (B), reciprocating up and down between (see FIG. 9B).

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the window frame 220 (that is, the filter 110) rises, the brush roller 230 rotates in the direction of the arrow to adsorb dust adhering to the filter 110. To remove. The dust adsorbed on the brush roller 230 is scraped off by the metal blade 240 and dropped into the dust box 140.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the window frame 220 (filter 110) is lowered, the brush roller 230 rotates idly without transmitting the driving force from the motor 250 by the built-in one-way clutch. That is, in this case, the brush roller 230 does not rotate. Thus, by rotating the brush roller 230 in only one direction, the working time of the brush roller 230 can be reduced by half, and the life of the brush roller 230 can be extended. Further, as described above, brush hairs in the order of the direction shown in FIG. 10 are planted on the brush roller 230, and dust attached to the filter 110 is removed only in the direction of planting in the order of the order. This also reduces the frequency of use of the brush roller 230 and extends the life of the brush roller 230.

  Thus, during operation, the filter cleaning mechanism 200 moves the window frame 220 (filter 110) up and down, removes dust adhering to the filter 110 by adsorbing it to the brush roller 230, and adsorbs it to the brush roller 230. The dust is scraped off by the metal blade 240 and dropped into the dust box 140.

  In the present embodiment, the filter cleaning mechanism 200 automatically performs, for example, several reciprocations (here, three reciprocations) when the oxygen concentrator 100 is turned on and every 24 hours after the power is turned on. Controlled. Thereby, only the necessary filter cleaning can be performed automatically when necessary.

  In the present embodiment, the filter 110 is cleaned only in the lower half area of the filter 110. However, since the air passes through the upper half region of the filter 110 only during the above-described operation, this time is extremely short in terms of the entire operation time of the oxygen concentrator 100, and it is substantially unnecessary to clean. Absent.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the brush roller 230 rotates only when the window frame 220 (filter 110) moves in one direction, and idles when the window frame 220 (filter 110) moves in the opposite direction. Therefore, the actual working time of the brush roller 230 can be halved, the life of the brush roller 230 can be extended, and durability can be improved.

  In addition, since the speed difference is provided between the moving speed of the window frame 220 and the rotational speed of the brush roller 230, the function of removing dust attached to the filter 110 can be improved. Furthermore, by combining the rotation of the brush roller 230 in only one direction and the provision of a speed difference between the window frame 220 and the brush roller 230, the function of removing dust adhered to the filter 110 can be further improved as a synergistic effect. Further improvement can be achieved.

  Further, since the window frame 220 (filter 110) and the brush roller 230 are driven by one motor 250, the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, since the structure which removes the dust adhering to the brush roller 230 with the metal blade 240 (cleaning) was employ | adopted, the number of parts is reduced also from this point. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the filter cleaning mechanism 200 with a relatively simple structure and reduced cost.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the brush roller 230 is disposed outside the flow path of the air passing through the window 210, so that dust attached to the brush roller 230 can be prevented from flowing again to the filter 110. .

  In the present embodiment, the case where the filter cleaning mechanism 200 is applied to the oxygen concentrator 100 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the filter cleaning mechanism according to the present invention can be applied not only to home medical equipment having an air cleaning function but also to a filter cleaning mechanism of an air cleaning device in any field, and has a relatively simple and inexpensive structure. While employed, it is useful as a filter cleaning mechanism that can improve both reliability and durability in the operation of removing dust adhered to the filter.

The rear perspective view showing the appearance of the oxygen concentrator which has the filter cleaning mechanism concerning one embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a rear perspective view showing a state where a cover is attached to the filter cleaning mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and (B) is a rear perspective view showing a state where the filter cleaning mechanism is removed from the oxygen concentrator shown in FIG. (A) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the filter cleaning mechanism incorporating a filter, (B) is a perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the dust box in the lower part of the filter cleaning mechanism of FIG. 3 (A). (A) is a front view of the filter cleaning mechanism of FIG. 3 (A), (B) is a left side view thereof, and (C) is a right side view thereof. Rear view of the filter cleaning mechanism of FIG. Perspective view showing a single filter (A) is a perspective view showing a state in which the filter cleaning mechanism is stopped, (B) is a perspective view showing a state in which the filter cleaning mechanism is operating. (A) is a perspective view showing a state in which a dust box is arranged at the lower part of the filter cleaning mechanism in FIG. 7 (A), and (B) is a state in which the dust box is arranged at the lower part of the filter cleaning mechanism in FIG. 7 (B). Perspective view (A) is sectional drawing which looked at the state which the filter cleaning mechanism has stopped from the side, (B) is sectional drawing which looked at the state where the filter cleaning mechanism is operating from the side It is the schematic for demonstrating the principle of operation | movement of a filter cleaning mechanism, (A) is a figure which shows when a window frame is falling, (B) is a figure which shows when a window frame is rising.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Oxygen concentrator 110 Filter 120 Case 130 Air inlet 140 Dust box 150 Housing part 160 Cover 200 Filter cleaning mechanism 210 Window 220 Window frame 230 Brush roller 240 Metal blade 250 Motor 260, 270 Power transmission mechanism

Claims (10)

A window through which air passes;
A filter for removing dust from the air passing through the window;
A window frame attached with the filter and movable with respect to the window;
A brush roller for removing dust adhering to the filter while rotating and contacting the filter during the movement of the window frame;
The brush roller is
Rotates only when the window frame moves in one direction, and idles when the window frame moves in the opposite direction.
Filter cleaning mechanism. A peeling means for contacting the brush roller and dropping dust adhering to the brush roller as the brush roller rotates;
The filter cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising: The rotational speed of the brush roller is different from the moving speed of the window frame,
The filter cleaning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2. The rotational speed of the brush roller is greater than the moving speed of the window frame,
The filter cleaning mechanism according to claim 3. The window frame and the brush roller are driven by one motor.
The filter cleaning mechanism in any one of Claims 1-4. The brush roller has an order with respect to the rotation direction,
The rotating part of the brush roller contains a one-way clutch that rotates only in one direction.
The filter cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The brush roller is disposed outside the air flow path passing through the window,
The filter cleaning mechanism in any one of Claims 1-6.   An oxygen concentrator that has the filter cleaning mechanism according to claim 1 and supplies high-concentration oxygen to a patient. A dust box for storing the dust dropped by the peeling means;
An oxygen concentrator according to claim 8 having The filter cleaning mechanism is controlled to operate continuously a predetermined number of times at predetermined time intervals.
The oxygen concentrator according to claim 9.

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