JP2010276335A - Electric equipment with ion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electric equipment highly safe to a human body capable of sterilizing, deodorizing and purifying the inside thereof without damaging an outer casing. <P>SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes the outer casing 104 with air inlets 108, 109 and an outlet 110. Inside the casing 104, a ventilation passage formed between the air inlets 108, 109 and the outlet, an indoor heat exchanger 102 arranged in the ventilation passage, an ion generator 111 discharging ions downstream of the indoor heat exchanger 102 in the ventilation passage, and an ion sensor 113 for detecting an ion concentration in the ventilation passage arranged upstream of the indoor heat exchanger 102 in the ventilation passage are arranged. Air is sucked in the ventilation passage from the air inlets 108, 109, and blown out of the outlet 110. The air conditioner performs cleaning operation for cleaning the inside of the ventilation passage by the ions generated from the ion generator 111. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric device capable of sterilizing and deodorizing the inside of an outer box of the electric device by the action of positive and negative ions generated from an ion generator.

  In recent years, in the field of air conditioners, there have been proposed various functions added to pursue comfort. As an example, an electric dust collector ( Some of them are equipped with an electric air purification unit) to give the function of collecting dirt in the air and improve the indoor environment.

  By the way, when a cooling operation or a dry operation (weak cooling operation) is performed with an air conditioner having a heat exchanger, condensed water adheres to the indoor heat exchanger, and the condensed water is discharged outside through the drain pan. After the operation is stopped, the condensed water may remain in the indoor heat exchanger or the drain pan.

  When dust or the like adheres to the residual condensed water, microorganisms such as molds propagate in the indoor unit and generate an unpleasant odor. Furthermore, the grown microorganisms cover the heat exchanger, and the spores, dead bodies, odorous components, etc. of the microorganisms are released from the air conditioner to the external environment by the force of the airflow passing through the heat exchanger. There are reports that the released microorganism spores, carcasses, odorous components, etc. may contribute to allergic diseases, and so on. Patent Document 1 proposes a function of purifying the interior of an indoor unit by generating ozone using an ozone generator installed in the indoor unit.

JP 2004-20117 A

  However, the sterilization and deodorizing effect by ozone is easily influenced by the temperature and humidity in the room. Generally, ozone is easily decomposed naturally under high temperature and high humidity conditions, and the sterilizing and deodorizing effect is reduced. In particular, mold is prone to grow under high humidity conditions, so ozone is not suitable for removing mold generated in heat exchangers.

  In addition, ozone is known as a substance with a strong bactericidal power, but because of its high persistence, ozone may drift not only inside the outer box but also in the external environment. Toxic if human inhaled. Furthermore, due to the high residual property, the resin stays in the outer box for a long time, so that the deterioration of the resin such as polystyrene used in the outer box is accelerated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an electrical device that is highly safe for the human body and can be sterilized, deodorized and purified without damaging the outer box. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electrical device according to the present invention includes an outer box in which an air inlet and an air outlet are formed, an air blowing unit and an ion generator installed in the outer box, and is provided outside the air inlet. Air is sucked into the box and blown out from the outlet, and air circulation means for circulating air in the outer box is provided, and the ion generator is operated while circulating air in the outer box by the air circulation means. A purification operation for purifying the inside of the outer box by operating is performed.

  According to the above configuration, ions having a short lifetime can be spread to every corner of the outer box in a short time, and the air is circulated in the outer box, so that the ion concentration in the outer box is increased over time. Is possible. Therefore, the inside of the outer box can be sterilized, deodorized and purified by allowing these ions to act on microorganisms such as mold.

  As the air circulation means, a circulation fan for circulating air may be used in addition to the air blowing means, but the air circulation means is constituted by the air blowing means and a shielding means for shielding air from entering and exiting the outer box. You can also. In this case, the air in the outer box can be circulated by operating the air blowing means in a state where the air entering / exiting the inside of the outer box is blocked by the shielding means, and a circulation fan different from the air blowing means can be provided. It has the advantage that it does not need to be provided.

  As the shielding means, an open / close panel provided at the air inlet and / or the air outlet can be used. An electrical device equipped with an air inlet and an air outlet has to suck air from the air inlet into the outer box only after the air blower installed inside the outer box is operated with the air inlet and air outlet opened. It becomes possible to blow out from the outlet. Therefore, when the air blowing means is operated with at least one of the air inlet or the air outlet closed, the flow of air from the air inlet to the air outlet is suppressed, and the air inside the outer box remains inside and remains inside the outer box. Will be circulated.

  The purification operation may be performed at any timing, and can be performed automatically at regular intervals, for example. In addition, a detection means for detecting environmental factors affecting the propagation of microorganisms in the outer box is provided, and the purification operation is performed when the detection means detects that the inside of the outer box is an environment in which microorganisms are likely to grow. You can also Specific examples of the environmental factor include temperature, humidity, and the degree of contamination in the outer box. As a detection means for detecting these environmental factors, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an optical sensor, or the like may be used. Among them, it is preferable to detect temperature and humidity that have a great influence on the propagation of microorganisms, and a temperature sensor and / or humidity sensor may be used as the detector.

  According to the above configuration, by performing the purification operation only at a necessary time, it is economical and the inside of the outer box can be purified efficiently. In this case, the purification operation is not limited to the period during which the air conditioning operation is stopped. If the environment becomes easy for microorganisms to propagate even during the air conditioning operation, the air conditioning operation is interrupted and the purification operation is automatically performed. In other words, the purification operation can be performed with priority over the air conditioning operation.

  In addition, the environment in which microorganisms such as mold easily propagate in the outer box is due to normal air-conditioning operation in which condensed water adheres to the indoor heat exchanger, that is, during cooling operation or dry operation. Further, it may be performed after the air-conditioning operation is stopped. In this case, the purification operation may be performed all the time during the period when the air-conditioning operation is stopped, or may be performed for a predetermined time.

  When performing the purification operation, if the ion generator is operated in an environment where the air in the outer box does not circulate, the ion concentration is biased inside the outer box and the sterilization effect against microorganisms is uneven. It is preferable to operate together while the generator is in operation. On the other hand, with respect to the ion generator, a sufficient sterilizing effect is obtained when the ion concentration exceeds a certain level, and the sterilizing effect does not change much even if the ion concentration becomes higher than that, so ON / OFF according to the ion concentration It is economically preferable to maintain the ion concentration at a constant level.

  Specifically, an ion sensor that detects the ion concentration in the outer box is provided, and when the purification operation starts, the ion generator is driven, and when the ion concentration detected by the ion sensor exceeds a certain value and a predetermined time has elapsed, the ion is generated. The driving of the device is stopped, and the ion generator may be restarted when the ion concentration detected by the ion sensor becomes less than a certain value.

  The positive ions and negative ions generated from the ion generator contact each other, thereby causing a chemical reaction before acting on the microorganisms to generate active species such as radicals and disappear. Therefore, it is preferable that the air blowing means performs a low wind operation during the purification operation. Thereby, ion can be supplied to every corner of an outer box, suppressing the reduction | decrease of positive ion and negative ion as much as possible.

  Here, test data relating to the effect of sterilizing microorganisms in which positive and negative ions adhere to the surface of an object will be disclosed. The following test is a test of the bactericidal performance exhibited by positive and negative ions generated by discharge against attached bacteria. The test was conducted under the following conditions.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the ion generator includes a discharge electrode 1101 disposed on the surface of an alumina dielectric 1102, a discharge part composed of a counter electrode 1103 embedded in the alumina dielectric, and a high-voltage pulse electrode. 1104 is used. The distance between the electrodes is about 0.2 mm, the discharge electrode 1101 forms a mesh pattern, and the size of the discharge electrode is a rectangular shape of about 1 cm × 3 cm.

  From the high voltage pulse power supply, a high voltage pulse voltage (frequency 60 Hz, peak voltage about 2 kV) consisting of positive and negative is generated and applied between the voltages.

On the surface of the discharge electrode, positive and negative ions are generated from molecules such as oxygen (O ₂ ) and water (H ₂ O) in the air by the energy of the plasma generated by the creeping discharge. The resulting positive, is a composition of a negative ion, H ₃ by a positive hydrogen ion H ⁺ is generated water molecules in the air are ionized, which is clustered with water molecules in the air by solvation energy O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n (n is 0 or a natural number) is formed. On the other hand, the negative ions of oxygen ions O ₂ ionized oxygen molecules or water molecules in the air ^- is produced, which O ₂ by clustering with water molecules in the air by solvation energy ^- (H ₂ O) _m (m is 0 or a natural number).

The clustering of water molecules has been confirmed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the peak observed in the minimum in FIG. 12 (a) is at the position of molecular weight 19, and the subsequent peak has this molecular weight of 19 It appears that the positive ions generated by the discharge are H ₃ O ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n (n is 0 or a natural number). is there. That is, this result shows that water molecules having a molecular weight of 18 are hydrated integrally with hydrogen ions H ⁺ having a molecular weight of 1.

On the other hand, the minimum peak observed in FIG. 12B is at the position of molecular weight 32, and the subsequent peak appears at a position obtained by sequentially adding 18 corresponding to the molecular weight of water to this molecular weight 32. It is clear that the ions are O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m (m is 0 or a natural number). That is, this result shows that water molecules having a molecular weight of 18 are hydrated integrally with oxygen ions O ₂ ⁻ having a molecular weight of 32.

  The following tests were conducted using the ion generator.

  First, Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus), Enterococccus (Enterococcus), Sarcina flava, and Micrococcus roseus, which are Gram-positive cocci, are applied on an agar medium, and contain positive and negative ions generated from the discharge electrode as shown in FIG. Air was diffused as indicated by arrows (1304), and positive and negative ions were exposed to the agar medium. The size of the test box (1305) was 21 × 14 × 14 cm.

The ion concentration is about 1000 ions / cm ³ each for positive and negative ions on the agar medium (however, the concentration of small ions is measured with a critical mobility of 1 cm ² / V · cm), and the ozone concentration is less than 0.01 ppm. Met. The test box is not provided with a fan, and the ions are exposed by natural convection and natural diffusion. The agar medium exposed to positive and negative ions was cultured at 37 ° C. for 72 hours, and the number of colonies was counted.

  As a result, it was found that when the bacteria were irradiated with ions, the number of colonies (CFU; Colony Forming Unit) obtained after the culture decreased as the irradiation time increased (see FIG. 14). From this result, it was found that positive and negative ions generated from the ion generator have the effect of sterilizing bacteria attached to the object.

  Similarly, in order to investigate the fungicidal performance of mold, a mold suspension in which spores of Aspergillus versicolor (Poji mold), Penicillum camambertii, Cladosporium herbarum (black mold) were dispersed was applied on an agar medium, and the same experiment as above was performed. went. The agar medium exposed to positive and negative ions was cultured for 48 hours in a constant temperature and humidity environment of 33 ° C. and 100% humidity. FIG. 15 shows the result. From the results shown in FIG. 15, it took time compared to bacteria, but it was revealed that the number of colonies (CFU; Colony Forming Unit) decreases as the irradiation time becomes longer when ions are irradiated to mold fungi.

  From the above results, it was found that the positive and negative ions have a bactericidal effect on the attached bacteria attached to the object. Moreover, as a result of trying to detect what kind of active species is generated by positive and negative ions generated from this ion generator by biochemical analysis, it was confirmed that hydroxy radical (.OH) was generated. .

  The electrical equipment of the present invention refers to all electrical equipment having an air inlet and an air outlet, for example, air conditioners such as an air conditioner, an air purifier, a dehumidifier, a humidifier, a cooler, an electric heater, and a gas heater. It includes devices, storage devices such as cooler boxes and refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners. Moreover, these electric devices may be mounted on a vehicle.

  In particular, when an air conditioner such as an air conditioner is used as an electric device, the indoor air can be sterilized and deodorized by operating the ion generator while blowing air from the blowout port by the blowing means. It has the advantage of being able to. In this case, the ion generator is preferably disposed in the vicinity of the outlet. Thereby, the chance that the generated positive ions and negative ions come into contact with each other in the outer box can be reduced as much as possible, and the ions can be blown out into the room while suppressing the decrease of the ions.

  As described above, according to the electric device of the present invention, the inside of the electric device can always be kept clean. As a result, microorganisms such as mold do not propagate inside the electric device, and no unpleasant odor is generated. Furthermore, the spores, dead bodies, odorous components, etc. of microorganisms do not scatter substances that induce allergies, and users with allergic diseases can use them with peace of mind.

Sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of the air conditioning operation | movement of the air conditioner in 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of the air conditioning operation | movement stop of the air conditioner in 1st Embodiment. Flowchart diagram of purification operation in the first embodiment The figure which shows the ion concentration change during purification | cleaning driving | operation in 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of the air conditioning operation stop of the air conditioner in 2nd Embodiment Flowchart diagram of purification operation in the second embodiment Arrangement of air conditioner in the third embodiment The figure which shows the function test result in 3rd Embodiment The figure which shows the control test result in 3rd Embodiment Figure comparing functional test results with control test results Schematic showing the ion generator Diagram showing analysis results of positive ions and negative ions Schematic showing sterilization test method The figure which shows the bactericidal performance with respect to 4 types of gram positive cocci when irradiated with ions The figure which shows the bactericidal performance with respect to mold | fungi at the time of ion irradiation

[First Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, a separate air conditioner indoor unit having a cooling / heating function as a main function is used as the electric apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the indoor unit.

  In FIG. 1, intake ports 108 and 109 are formed in the outer box 104 of the indoor unit 101 of the air conditioner, and ventilation between the intake ports 108 and 109 and the outlet 110 is made in the outer box 104. A path is formed, and the filter 107, the indoor heat exchanger 102, the blower fan 103 as a blowing means, and the ion generator 111 are arranged in this order with the intake ports 108 and 109 as the upstream side in this ventilation path. .

  The outer box 104 has air inlets (the front air inlet 108 and the upper air inlet 109) formed at two locations, the front of the outer box and the upper part of the outer box. The panel 106 can be opened and closed. A filter guide 105 is formed inside the front panel 106, and a filter 107 is inserted along the filter guide 105.

  When the air conditioning operation is performed in the indoor unit configured as described above, first, the blower fan 103 is operated to suck in indoor air from the front intake port 108 and the upper intake port 109, and the indoor air passes through the filter 107 and passes through the indoor heat. Contact the exchanger 102.

  In the indoor heat exchanger 102, heat is exchanged between the cold medium passing through the inside and the outside indoor air. The indoor air conditioned by being warmed or cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 102 is discharged into the room from the outlet 110.

  A vertical louver 114 that changes the direction of air flow in the left-right direction and a horizontal louver 115 that changes the direction of flow in the up-down direction are swingably attached to the air outlet 110. The lateral louver 115 operates quickly when the air-conditioning airflow from the air conditioner to the outside is turned off, and the outlet 110 is closed as shown in FIG. That is, the lateral louver 115 also serves as an opening / closing panel for the air outlet 110.

  Between the blower fan 103 and the outlet 110, an ion generator 111 having the same configuration as that shown in FIG. As described above, the ion generator 111 generates positive ions and negative ions by the energy of the discharge plasma. Microorganisms existing in the vicinity of the electrode of the ion generator or on the surface of the electrode are directly affected by electrical impact. It is also possible to perform sterilization.

  A timer 112 that measures the ion generation time of the ion generator 111 is installed in the vicinity of the ion generator 111. An ion sensor 113 that detects the ion concentration inside the outer box 104 is installed at a position farthest from the ion generator 111, that is, at an upper part in the outer box 104. Thereby, even if the ion concentration is biased in the outer box 104, the minimum value of the ion concentration is measured.

  The indoor unit is provided with a control means including a microcomputer (not shown) having a CPU, a memory and the like. The control means receives the ONN / OFF signal of the air conditioning operation switch, the detection signal of the ion sensor, or the signal of the timer 112, and controls the ion generator, the open / close panel 115 or the blower fan 103. Yes.

  The purification operation of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, at the time of air-conditioning operation, the indoor unit performs air-conditioning operation in the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the cooling / heating operation is turned off, the lateral louver 114 is closed, and the state shown in FIG.

  The purification operation is started by an OFF signal of the air conditioning operation, the ion generator 111 is operated, and the blower fan 103 is operated gently (light wind operation), so that the outer box 104 is filled with ions. When this ion reaches a predetermined ion concentration (IC1 in FIG. 3), the timer 112 is operated and the ion generator is stopped when a predetermined time T1 has elapsed.

  In the present embodiment, the blower fan 103 continues to operate in a weak wind even when the ion generator 111 is stopped so that the ion concentration in the outer box 104 becomes uniform, and the ion sensor 112 continues to monitor the ion concentration. Note that the blower fan 103 may be stopped while the ion generator 111 is stopped.

  Thereafter, when the ion sensor 111 detects that the ion concentration in the main body outer box 104 has reached a predetermined ion concentration (IC2 in FIG. 3), the operation of the ion generator 111 resumes and the blower fan 103 is turned on. By operating slowly, the ion concentration in the outer box 104 increases.

  IC2 is set to an ion concentration at which microorganisms attached to the resin of the heat exchanger 102 and the outer box 104 do not propagate. Therefore, by repeating the operation shown in FIG. 3, the inside of the outer box 104 is always equal to or higher than IC2 as shown in FIG. 4, and the inside of the air conditioner shown in FIG.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a cross section of an indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner having a cooling / heating function as a main function according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the air conditioner of the first embodiment is that it has a temperature sensor 501 and a humidity sensor 502 that can detect the temperature and humidity inside the outer box 104. Note that detection signals obtained from the temperature sensor 501 and the humidity sensor 502 are input to the control means, and based on the detection signal, the ion generator, the open / close panel 115 or the blower fan 103 are controlled.

  According to this embodiment, when the ion generator is stopped, whether the temperature and humidity environment in the outer box 104 becomes a temperature and humidity environment suitable for the growth of microorganisms, whether the air conditioning operation is performed or not. Only the purification operation can be performed, and the inside of the outer box 104 can be filled with ions to prevent the growth of microorganisms.

  The purification operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 6 shows that when the ion generator 111 is stopped, the temperature sensor 501 and the humidity sensor 502 inside the air conditioner of FIG. When the control means detects this, the ion generator is operated, and the blower fan 103 is operated slowly, whereby the outer box 104 is filled with ions. When this ion reaches a predetermined ion concentration (IC1 in FIG. 6), the timer 115 is operated, and when the predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the ion generator is stopped.

  Thereafter, when the ion sensor 112 detects that the ion concentration in the outer box 104 has reached a predetermined ion concentration (IC2 in FIG. 6), the ion generator 111 operates and the blower fan operates gently. As a result, the ion concentration in the outer casing increases. IC2 is set to an ion concentration at which microorganisms attached to the resin of the heat exchanger 102 and the outer box 104 do not propagate. By repeating this operation, the inside of the outer box 104 is always equal to or higher than IC2, and microorganisms do not grow and are kept in a clean state.

  This operation is continued until it is detected whether the temperature sensor is out of the predetermined temperature range F1 to F2 or whether the humidity sensor is out of the predetermined humidity range H1 to H2. In addition, these F1-F2 are set to the temperature range suitable for microorganisms, such as a mold, to propagate. In addition, since H1 and H2 are set in a humidity range suitable for the propagation of microorganisms such as mold, the propagation of microorganisms does not occur when the ion generator is not operating.

[Third Embodiment]
Since positive and negative ions released from the ion generator mounted on the air conditioner according to the present invention are effective against airborne bacteria, the indoor unit of the air conditioner described in the first embodiment By blowing out positive and negative ions into the air, the concentration of airborne bacteria in the room can be reduced. Actually, the test results in which airborne bacteria were reduced in the 8 tatami space test room are shown below.

  FIG. 7 shows a layout of each device when the test is performed. The air conditioner 702 shown in FIG. 1 was installed near the wall of the 8 tatami space test chamber 701, and an RCS air sampler 703 manufactured by BIOTEST was installed at the center of the 8 tatami space test chamber 701.

  In this state, a suspension in which Cladosporium herbarum (black mold) as a test bacterium was suspended in the nebulizer 705 from the corner of the room while the stirring fan 704 installed at the four corners of the 8 tatami space test chamber 701 was operated. Sampling was performed with the air sampler 703 at the time when the spraying was stopped, and sampling was continued every 15 minutes thereafter, and the decay of the airborne bacteria in the sprayed test bacteria was examined. This test was performed when positive and negative ions were generated from the ion generator (this is a functional test) and when positive and negative ions were not generated (this was a control test).

  FIG. 8 shows the number of floating bacteria and survival rate in the functional test, and FIG. 9 shows the number of floating bacteria and survival rate in the control test. 8 and 9 (see FIG. 10), it can be seen that Cladosporium decays quickly in the functional test with positive and negative ions in FIG. Therefore, by blowing out positive and negative ions from the air conditioner of the present invention to the outside of the room, microorganisms floating in the room can be reduced and the room air can be kept clean.

101 Air Conditioner Indoor Unit 102 Indoor Unit Heat Exchanger 103 Blower Fan 104 Indoor Unit Body Outer Box 105 Filter Guide 106 Front Panel 107 Filter 108 Front Suction Port 109 Upper Suction Port 110 Blow Out Port 111 Ion Generator 112 Timer 113 Ion Sensor 114 Vertical louver 115 Horizontal louver 501 Temperature sensor 502 Humidity sensor 701 8 tatami test chamber 702 Air conditioner 703 Air sampler 704 Stirring fan 705 Nebulizer 1101 Discharge electrode 1102 Alumina dielectric 1103 Counter electrode 1104 High-voltage pulse power supply 1301 Discharge device 1302 Petri dish 1303 Medium 1304 Airflow direction 1305 Test chamber

Claims (5)

An outer box formed with an air inlet and an air outlet, and a ventilation path formed between the air inlet and the air outlet in the outer box, and an indoor heat exchanger installed in the air path; An ion generator that emits ions downstream of the indoor heat exchanger in the ventilation path, and an ion concentration in the ventilation path installed upstream of the indoor heat exchanger in the ventilation path. A purification operation for purifying the inside of the ventilation path with ions generated from the ion generator, the air conditioner having an ion sensor for detection and sucking air into the ventilation path from the inlet and blowing out from the outlet An air conditioner characterized by performing. Shielding means for closing the air outlet is provided, and the air containing the ions generated from the ion generator is moved in the ventilation path by operating the air blowing means in a state where the air outlet is closed by the shielding means. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a purification operation is performed to purify the inside of the ventilation path while circulating. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the ion generator is controlled according to a detected ion concentration by the ion sensor. An air conditioner that stops driving the ion generator when a predetermined time elapses after the ion concentration detected by the ion sensor exceeds a certain value after the purification operation is started. After the start of the purification operation, when the ion concentration detected by the ion sensor exceeds a certain value and a predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the ion generator is stopped, and then the ion concentration detected by the ion sensor becomes less than the certain value. An air conditioner characterized by restarting the ion generator when it becomes.

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