JP2011030697A - Air disinfecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air disinfecting apparatus, in which water supply and draining can be easily performed. <P>SOLUTION: The air disinfecting apparatus 1 includes in a case 11, an electrolytic tank 46, a gas-liquid contact member 53 to which electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic tank 46 is supplied, a water receiving tray 42 to store electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic tank 46, and to receive electrolytic water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member 53, a circulation pump 44 pumping up electrolytic water stored in the water receiving tray 42 and supplying to the gas-liquid contact member 53 again, and an air fan 31 to send room air to the gas-liquid contact member 53. A water supply tank 60 to supply water to the water receiving tray 42 and a drain tank 80 to receive water drained from the water receiving tray 42 are disposed together in one chamber 22 at an upper part of the case 11, and a taking-out door 14A is provided on one surface of the upper part of the case 11 in such a way that the supply water tank 60 and the drain tank 80 can be taken out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

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

By the way, when the electrolyzed water is circulated for a long time and used, the electrolyzed water is contaminated and there is a problem that the electrolysis performance is lowered due to the dirt, and consequently the sterilization performance is lowered. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to periodically perform water exchange every time a predetermined time elapses. When the tap water is stored and supplied to the water supply tank and the electrolyzed water is drained to the drain tank, the user operation for supplying the tap water to the water tank and removing the electrolyzed water from the drain tank is as follows: It is desirable to be simple and easy.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an air sterilization apparatus that can easily perform water supply and drainage operations.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention stores an electrolytic cell, a gas-liquid contact member to which electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic cell is supplied, and electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic cell in a housing. In addition, a water tray that receives the electrolyzed water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member, a circulation pump that pumps the electrolyzed water stored in the water tray and supplies it to the gas-liquid contact member again, and indoor air to the gas-liquid contact member In the air sterilization apparatus having a blower fan to be sent, a water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray in the upper chamber of the housing and a drain tank for receiving water drained from the water tray are collected. And a takeout door capable of taking out the water supply tank and the drainage tank is provided on one surface of the upper portion of the housing.
According to the above configuration, the water supply tank for supplying water to the water receiving tray and the drainage tank for receiving the water drained from the water receiving tray are collectively arranged in the upper chamber of the casing, Since the take-out door from which the water supply tank and the drainage tank can be taken out is provided on one side, the water supply tank and the drainage tank can be taken out from one takeout door, so that the labor of water supply and drainage can be saved.

Further, the present invention divides the inside of the housing up and down with a support plate, and an electrolysis tank, a gas-liquid contact member to which electrolyzed water generated by the electrolysis tank is supplied to the upper chamber of the housing, A water tray that stores the electrolyzed water generated by the electrolyzer and receives electrolyzed water that flows down from the gas-liquid contact member, and a circulation pump that pumps the electrolyzed water stored in the water tray and supplies the electrolyzed water again to the gas-liquid contact member An air sterilization apparatus including a blower fan that sends room air to the gas-liquid contact member in a lower chamber of the housing, and a water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray, A drainage tank for receiving water drained from the water tray is disposed in the upper chamber, and a take-out door capable of taking out the water supply tank and the drainage tank is provided on one surface of the casing.
According to the above configuration, the water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray and the drain tank for receiving water drained from the water tray are arranged in the upper chamber, and these water tank and drain tank are provided on one surface of the housing. Since the take-out door capable of taking out water is provided, the water supply tank and the drain tank can be taken out from one take-out door, so that the labor of water supply and drainage can be saved.

The said structure WHEREIN: The said water supply tank and the said drainage tank may be comprised so that extraction is possible integrally.
According to the said structure, since a water supply tank and a drainage tank are comprised so that extraction is possible integrally, a water supply tank and a drainage tank can be taken out simultaneously, and the effort of water supply and drainage work can be saved.

The said structure WHEREIN: The outflow pipe which flows out the water in this drainage tank outside may be provided in the said drainage tank, and the inlet_port | entrance of this outflow pipe may be arrange | positioned in the upper part of the said drainage tank.
According to the above configuration, the drainage tank is provided with an outflow pipe for draining the water in the drainage tank to the outside, and the inlet of the outflow pipe is arranged at the upper part of the drainage tank. Since it is possible to circulate the water that has been settled and removed from the bottom of the tank, the frequency of the drainage work can be reduced and the labor of the drainage work can be saved.

In the above configuration, an inflow pipe for allowing water to flow into the drainage tank may be provided in the drainage tank, and an outlet of the inflow pipe may be disposed above an inlet of the outflow pipe.
According to the above configuration, since the inflow pipe for allowing water to flow into the drainage tank is provided in the drainage tank, and the outlet of the inflow pipe is disposed above the inlet of the outflow pipe, the inflow pipe is not filled even when the drainage tank is full. Since the inlet is located above the water surface, it is not necessary to provide, for example, outflow prevention means for preventing outflow of water to the inflow pipe, and the configuration of the drainage tank can be simplified.

  According to the present invention, the water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray in the upper chamber of the casing and the drain tank for receiving the water drained from the water tray are collectively arranged, Since the take-out door from which the water supply tank and the drainage tank can be taken out is provided on one side, the water supply tank and the drainage tank can be taken out from one takeout door, so that the labor of water supply and drainage can be saved.

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.

On the upper surface of the housing 11, as shown in FIG. 2, there are an operation lid 16A arranged on the front side of the air outlet 13, and a tank opening / closing lid (extraction door) 14A arranged side by side on the operation lid 16A. Is formed. 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 60 and a drainage tank 80 to be described later are connected via the tank outlet 14. It can be put in and out.
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, the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 32 are disposed, and two saline tanks 95 </ b> A and 95 </ b> B are accommodated in the front and rear via the partition plate 24. The blower fan 31, the fan motor 32, and the saline tanks 95A and 95B 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 various control units (not shown) that control the air sanitizer 1. Various electrical components such as a control board on which the device is mounted and 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 having a water receiving portion 42A for receiving 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. The reservoir 42B extends above the saline tanks 95A and 95B. The storage portion 42B is formed with a deep bottom portion 42B1 deeper than the water receiving portion 42A and a shallow bottom portion 42B2 shallower than the deep bottom portion 42B1.

A drainage tank 80 is disposed on the reservoir 42B, and is configured so that the electrolyzed water stored in the reservoir 42B can be appropriately drained.
In addition, a water supply tank 60 is disposed adjacent to the drainage tank 80 on the storage unit 42B, and water can be supplied from the water supply tank 60 to the storage unit 42B. The water stored in the water supply tank 60 may be water containing ion species such as chloride ions in advance, such as tap water, or dilute water having a chloride ion concentration such as well water. It may be. In the present embodiment, these are collectively referred to as water.

  In this configuration, when dilute water having a chloride ion concentration such as well water is used, saline tanks 95A and 95B for storing a salt solution adjusted to a predetermined concentration in advance to add chloride ions. Is provided. The saline tanks 95A and 95B are connected to each other by a connecting pipe 96, and a saline supply pipe 97 extending above the reservoir 42B is detachably connected to the front saline tank 95A. The saline solution supply pipe 97 is provided with a saline solution supply pump 98 that operates in accordance with the control of the control unit, and the saline solution stored in the saline solution tanks 95A and 95B is pumped up and stored by the saline solution supply pump 98. It is supplied to the part 42B.

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 91 disposed on the back side of the housing 11, and an air guide plate 94 disposed opposite to the first air guide member 91 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 93 that guides air to the air outlet 13 is disposed. The second air guide member 93 is formed in a substantially box shape with 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 93 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 inner bottom surface 93 </ b> A of the second air guide member 93 is inclined toward the gas-liquid contact member 53, and is formed so as to guide water that has jumped out of the second air guide member 93 to the water 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 93B of the second air guide member 93 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 water supplied to the reservoir 42B as a raw material for the electrolyzed water is supplied to the electrolyzer 46 by the circulation pump 44 for circulating electrolyzed water, and the water is electrolyzed by the electrolyzer 46 and generated. The electrolyzed water thus returned is stored again in the storage part 42B, and then supplied to the gas-liquid contact member 53 by the circulation pump 44. Then, the electrolyzed water used for sterilization flows down to the water receiving part 42A, The electrolyzed water that has flowed from the receiving portion 42A to the storage portion 42B is again supplied to the electrolyzer 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. In addition, 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 three paths. 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 second path, The water distribution pipe 71 is connected to the gas-liquid contact member 53 located at the end extending toward the water receiving portion 42A. In the three paths, the drain pipe 55 branched and connected to the water distribution pipe 71 is connected to the drain tank 80 (FIG. 2).

  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 is applied between the electrodes to electrolyze water to generate electrolyzed water. In this Embodiment, the electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid as a disinfection component is produced | generated by electrolyzing the water containing a chloride ion. 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.

The drainage pipe 55 is provided with a drainage valve 56 (FIG. 8) that adjusts the amount of water flowing through the drainage pipe 55 in accordance with the control of the control unit. The tip of the drainage pipe 55 is connected to the lower part of the drainage tank 80 (FIG. 8) via the nozzle 57 (FIG. 8). By opening the drainage valve 56, the electrolyzed water on the water tray 42 is opened. Is drained into the drainage tank 80. Further, a drainage branch pipe 75 (FIG. 9) branched from the return pipe 73 is connected to the drainage pipe 55 so that the electrolyzed water in the electrolytic bath 46 is drained to the drainage tank 80.
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.

Next, a water supply tank 60 for supplying water to the water tray 42 and a drain tank 80 for draining electrolytic water will be described.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the water supply tank 60 and the drain tank 80 from the rear. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the water supply tank 60, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the drain tank 80. FIG. 8 is a right side view showing the air sterilizer 1 of FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the water supply tank 60 includes a water supply tank body 61, and the water supply tank body 61 includes an upper surface 61A, a lower surface 61B, a front surface 61C, a rear surface 61D, a left side surface 61E, and a right side surface 61F. Configured. A handle 62 is provided on the upper surface 61A.

A water supply port 63 is formed in a substantially central portion of the lower surface 61B, and the water supply port 63 is provided with a float valve 63A that also serves as a cap of the water supply port 63. When the water level of the reservoir 42B (see FIG. 2) is below the water supply port 63, the float valve 63A is opened, so that a necessary amount of water is supplied from the water supply tank body 61, and the water level of the reservoir 42B is increased. It is a mechanism that is kept constant.
On the right side surface 61F, a recessed portion 64 that is recessed inward is formed at a substantially central portion of the upper half in the vertical direction. The hollow portion 64 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a side view, and a hook-and-loop fastener 65 is attached to the flat surface portion 64 </ b> A of the hollow portion 64. Further, the right side surface 61F is provided with a convex portion 66 protruding outward at a substantially central portion of the lower half in the vertical direction. The convex portion 66 extends obliquely upward and has a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the drain tank 80 includes a drain tank body 81. The drain tank body 81 includes an upper surface 81A, a lower surface 81B, a front surface 81C, a rear surface 81D, a left side surface 81E, and a right side surface 81F. It is prepared for. The drain tank body 81 is made of a material that is hardly deteriorated by electrolyzed water, for example, polyolefin resin (polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, etc.), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin, vinyl chloride resin, fluorine resin (PTFE, PFA, ETFE, etc.) ) Or a material such as a ceramic material is used, and in this configuration, a PET resin is used. The drain tank main body 81 has substantially the same height and depth as the water supply tank 60, and the width of the drain tank main body 81 is smaller than the width of the water supply tank 60.

A discharge hole 82 (see FIG. 8) for discharging the electrolyzed water in the drain tank body 81 is formed in the rear portion of the upper surface 81A. A hook-and-loop fastener 83 is attached to the left side surface 81E at a position corresponding to the hook-and-loop fastener 65 of the water supply tank 60. Further, the left side surface 81 </ b> E is formed with a concave portion 84 that is recessed inward so as to fit with the convex portion 67 of the water supply tank 60.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the right side surface 61 </ b> F of the water supply tank 60 and the left side surface 81 </ b> E of the drainage tank 80 are brought into contact with each other, the convex portion 66 of the water supply tank 60 is fitted into the concave portion 84 of the drainage tank 80. At the same time, the hook-and-loop fastener 65 of the water supply tank 60 is bonded to the hook-and-loop fastener 83 of the drainage tank 80 so that the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are integrated. At this time, the lower surface 61B of the water supply tank 60 and the lower surface 81B of the drainage tank 80 are located on substantially the same plane. The hook-and-loop fastener 65 and the hook-and-loop fastener 83 constitute the upper engaging portion 65A, and the convex portion 66 and the concave portion 84 constitute the lower engaging portion 66A.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower surface 81 </ b> B of the drainage tank body 81 is formed with an inflow port 85 for allowing the electrolytic water to flow into the drainage tank body 81, slightly forward of the substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. Yes. In front of the inflow port 85, an outflow port 86 through which the electrolyzed water in the drain tank main body 81 flows out to the storage part 42B is formed. Lower ends of an inflow pipe 87 and an outflow pipe 88 are connected to the inflow port 85 and the outflow port 86, and the inflow pipe 87 and the outflow pipe 88 are disposed in the drainage tank main body 81. These pipes 87 and 88 may be formed integrally with the drain tank main body 81 or may be connected by connecting parts.

An outlet 87 </ b> A of the inflow pipe 87 and an inlet 88 </ b> A of the outflow pipe 88 are disposed on the upper portion of the drain tank body 81. Therefore, the inflow pipe 87 is disposed so as to avoid the concave portion 84 recessed inside the drain tank body 81 by providing the inflow port 85 slightly ahead of the substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The inflow pipe 87 is formed longer than the outflow pipe 88, and the outlet 87 </ b> A of the inflow pipe 87 is located above the inlet 88 </ b> A of the outflow pipe 88. In the present embodiment, the lower engagement portion 66A is provided above the taper portion 87B, and the inflow pipe 87 is disposed closer to the substantially central portion in the front-rear direction.
The outlet 86 is provided with an opening / closing valve 89 having a valve rod 89A. The opening / closing valve 89 is configured to open when the valve rod 89A is pushed from below and to close when the valve rod 89A is released. Yes. When the drainage tank 80 is set in the air sterilization apparatus 1, the valve rod 89A comes into contact with the shallow bottom portion 42B2 of the storage portion 42B and is pressed to open the on-off valve 89.

  In the shallow bottom portion 42B2, a nozzle receiving portion 43 into which a nozzle 57 for guiding water to the inflow port 85 can be inserted is formed at a position corresponding to the inflow port 85. An O-ring 57 </ b> A is attached to the upper end portion of the nozzle 57. Accordingly, when the drainage tank 80 is set in the air sterilization apparatus 1 so that the nozzle 57 is inserted into the tapered portion 87B, the tapered portion 87B and the nozzle 57 are connected via the O-ring 57A. That is, the nozzle 57 has a function of positioning the drainage tank 80 in addition to a function of guiding water to the inflow port 85.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the circulation path of the electrolyzed water, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the electrolyzer 46 in detail. With reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the supply of electrolyzed water to the gas-liquid contact member 53 will be described. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which tap water is put into the water supply tank 60 and the air sterilizer 1 is operated.

  When the water supply tank 60 containing tap water is set in the air sterilizer 1, the tap water is supplied from the water supply tank 60 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. 10, this electrolytic cell 46 is provided with a pair of electrodes 47 and 48, one of which is positive and the other is negative. By applying a voltage between these electrodes 47 and 48, The flowing tap water is electrolyzed to generate electrolyzed water containing active oxygen species. Here, the reactive 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 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)).

More specifically, when the tap water is energized by the electrodes 47 and 48, hydrogen ions (H ⁺ ) and hydroxide ions (OH ⁻ ) in water are represented by the following formula (1) in the electrode 48 as the cathode electrode. To react.
4H ⁺ + 4e ⁻ + (4OH ⁻ ) → 2H ₂ + (4OH ⁻ ) (1)

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

  Hypochlorous acid generated at the electrode 47 is contained in a broad sense of active oxygen species and has a strong oxidizing action and bleaching action. The aqueous solution in which hypochlorous acid is dissolved, that is, the electrolyzed water generated by the air sterilizer 1 exhibits various air cleaning effects such as inactivation of viruses, sterilization, and decomposition of organic compounds. Thus, when electrolyzed water containing hypochlorous acid is dropped from the water spray box 51 to the gas-liquid contact member 53, the air blown out by the blower fan 31 (see FIG. 2) is sublimated in the gas-liquid contact member 53. Contact with chloric acid. 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 the active oxygen species in the gas-liquid contact member 53, so that the infection is prevented.

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

  Further, the electrolyzed water dropped from the water spray box 51 to the gas-liquid contact member 53 moves downward through 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. Further, when the amount of water stored in the storage unit 42B decreases due to evaporation or the like, an appropriate amount of tap water in the water supply tank 60 is supplied to the storage unit 42B.

  When the tap water is supplied from the water supply tank 60 and the salt concentration (chlorine concentration) of the water supplied to the electrolyzer 46 is lowered, the saline supply pump 98 is driven and stored in the saline tanks 95A and 95B. The saline solution is automatically supplied to the water receiving tray 42 through the saline solution supply pipe 97. The salt solution is supplied to the water tray 42 until the salt concentration (chlorine concentration) of water supplied to the electrolytic cell 46 reaches a predetermined value. The chlorine concentration is determined by measuring the conductivity of water supplied to the electrolytic cell 46.

  When water supply is started from the water supply tank 60, the electrolyzed water stored in the water receiving tray 42 and the electrolyzed water in the electrolytic tank 46 are drained by the operation of the circulation pump 44. At this time, the drain valve 56 provided in the drain pipe 55 may be opened, and the electrolyzed water stored in the water tray 42 or in the electrolytic bath 46 is pumped up by the circulation pump 44, and the drain pipe 55, drain The water is guided to the drainage tank 80 through the branch pipe 75 and the nozzle 57. As shown by an arrow A in FIG. 8, the electrolyzed water flows through the inflow pipe 87 in the drain tank main body 81, flows into the drain tank main body 81 from the upper inlet 88 </ b> A of the drain tank main body 81, and Accumulate at the bottom of the. When the electrolyzed water accumulates up to the inlet 88A of the outflow pipe 88 located at the upper part of the drainage tank main body 81 and becomes full, the electrolyzed water flows through the outflow pipe 88 from the inlet 88A as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 42.

Here, since the inlet 88A of the outflow pipe 88 is located at the upper part of the drainage tank main body 81, dirt such as a scale heavier than the electrolytic water settles at the lower part of the drainage tank main body 81, and the electrolytic water from which the dirt has been removed is water. It is supplied to the tray 42. That is, the drain tank 80 also has a function as a filter for removing dirt. As described above, the air sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured so that the electrolyzed water is temporarily stored in the drainage tank 80 and the dirt is removed and circulated, so that a small amount of water is effectively used. By using it, air can be sterilized efficiently over a long period of time. Further, it is not necessary to provide a full water warning for the drain tank 80, and malfunction due to a full water alarm can be avoided.
Further, since the outlet 87A of the inflow pipe 87 is disposed above the inlet 88A of the outflow pipe 88, it is located above the water surface even when the water is full, and the electrolytic water does not flow backward from the outlet 87A of the inflow pipe 87. . Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the inflow pipe 87 with an outflow prevention means such as a check valve for preventing the outflow of the electrolyzed water to the outside, so that the configuration of the drainage tank 80 can be simplified.

  The outlet 87A and the inlet 88A located at the upper part of the drain tank body 81 are not formed directly on the drain tank body 81, but are provided at the upper ends of pipes 87 and 88 whose lower ends are connected to the lower surface 81B of the drain tank body 81. It has been. Thereby, the connection part (taper part 87B, on-off valve 89) of the drainage tank 80 with the air sterilization apparatus 1 is substantially flush with the connection part (float valve 63A) of the water supply tank 60 with the air sterilization apparatus 1. Located in. Therefore, piping for supplying water from the drain tank 80 to the water tray 42 can be omitted, and the space required for piping of the drain pipe 55 can be minimized.

When the tap water in the water supply tank 60 runs out, the air sterilizer 1 stops. At this time, the drain tank 80 is full.
As shown in FIG. 2, the drainage tank 80 is disposed adjacent to the water supply tank 60 disposed in the upper chamber 22, and the casing 11 is a tank in which the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 can be taken out. Since the opening / closing lid 14A is provided, the water supply tank 60 and the drain tank 80 can be taken out from the single tank opening / closing lid 14A. As a result, compared with the case where the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are taken out from different doors, the labor of water supply and drainage work can be saved. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the drainage tank 80 is integrated with the water supply tank 60 by the upper and lower engaging portions 65A and 66A, so that the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 can be taken out at the same time ( In the present embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a handle for the drainage tank 80), and the number of parts can be reduced.

The electrolyzed water in the drain tank 80 can be discharged from a discharge hole 82 (see FIG. 8) provided in the upper surface 81A of the drain tank body 81. At this time, since the drainage tank 80 is full of water, the dirt that has settled in the lower part of the drainage tank body 81 is discharged together with the electrolyzed water.
When tap water is supplied to the water supply tank 60 and the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are set in the air sterilization apparatus 1, the connection portion between the drainage tank 80 and the air sterilization apparatus 1 due to the weight of the tap water in the water supply tank 60. Friction is increased between the taper portion 87B and the O-ring 57A of the nozzle 57, and sealing performance is ensured. The friction between the tapered portion 87B and the O-ring 57A of the nozzle 57 ensures the sealing performance by storing the electrolyzed water in the drainage tank 80 even if the tap water in the water supply tank 60 decreases. The

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the water supply tank 60 for supplying water to the water tray 42 and the drain tank 80 for receiving water drained from the water tray 42 are arranged in the upper chamber 22. In addition, since the tank opening / closing lid 14A capable of taking out the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 is provided on one surface of the housing 11, the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 can be taken out from one tank opening / closing lid 14A. Therefore, the labor of water supply and drainage work can be saved.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are configured to be able to be integrally taken out, the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 can be taken out at the same time. It can be omitted.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the drainage tank main body 81 is provided with the outflow pipe 88 for allowing the water in the drainage tank main body 81 to flow out to the outside, and the inlet 88A of the outflow pipe 88 is formed at the upper part of the drainage tank main body 81. Since it is arranged, dirt such as scale, which is heavier than water, is allowed to settle in the lower part of the drainage tank main body 81 and the removed water can be circulated, so that the frequency of drainage work can be reduced and the labor of drainage work can be saved. .

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the drain tank body 81 is provided with the inflow pipe 87 for allowing water to flow into the drain tank body 81, and the outlet 87A of the inflow pipe 87 is located above the inlet 88A of the outflow pipe 88. Since the outlet 87A of the inflow pipe 87 is located above the water surface even when the drain tank 80 is full, it is not necessary to provide an outflow prevention means for preventing the outflow of water to the outside, for example. The configuration of the drain tank 80 can be simplified.

However, the above embodiment is an aspect of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are formed separately and integrated with the upper and lower engaging portions 65A and 66A, but the water supply tank 60 and the drainage tank 80 are integrally formed. Also good.
In the above embodiment, the drain valve 56 is provided in the drain pipe 55, but the drain valve 56 may be omitted.

1 is an external perspective view of an air sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 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 sectional drawing which shows a water supply tank and a drainage tank from back. It is a perspective view which shows a water supply tank. It is a perspective view which shows a drainage tank. It is a right view which shows the air sanitizer of FIG. 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.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air sanitizer 11 Case 14A Open / close lid for tank (removal door)
21 Support plate 22 Upper chamber 23 Lower chamber 31 Blower fan 42 Water tray 44 Circulation pump 46 Electrolyzer 53 Gas-liquid contact member 60 Water supply tank 80 Drain tank 87 Inflow pipe 87A Outlet 88 Outflow pipe 88A Inlet

Claims (5)

An electrolytic tank, a gas-liquid contact member to which electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic tank is supplied, and electrolytic water that stores the electrolytic water generated by the electrolytic tank and flows down from the gas-liquid contact member in a housing An air sterilization apparatus comprising: a water receiving tray that receives water, a circulating pump that pumps electrolytic water stored in the water receiving tray and supplies the electrolytic water to the gas-liquid contact member again, and a blower fan that sends room air to the gas-liquid contact member ,
A water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray and a drain tank for receiving water drained from the water tray are collectively arranged in a chamber at the upper portion of the casing, and is disposed on one surface of the upper portion of the casing. An air sterilization apparatus provided with an extraction door from which these water supply tank and drainage tank can be taken out. The inside of the housing is divided into upper and lower portions by a support plate, and an electrolysis tank, a gas-liquid contact member to which electrolyzed water generated by the electrolysis tank is supplied, and the electrolysis tank are generated in the upper chamber of the housing A water receiving tray for storing electrolyzed water and receiving electrolyzed water flowing down from the gas-liquid contact member; and a circulation pump for pumping the electrolyzed water stored in the water receiving tray and supplying the electrolyzed water to the gas-liquid contact member again. In the air sterilization apparatus provided with a blower fan that sends room air to the gas-liquid contact member in the lower chamber of the body,
A water supply tank for supplying water to the water tray and a drain tank for receiving water drained from the water tray are arranged in the upper chamber, and the water tank and drain tank are taken out on one surface of the housing. An air sterilization apparatus provided with a possible extraction door.   The air sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein the water supply tank and the drainage tank are configured to be integrally removable.   The drainage tank is provided with an outflow pipe for allowing the water in the drainage tank to flow out to the water tray, and an inlet of the outflow pipe is arranged at an upper part of the drainage tank. Air sterilizer.   The air disinfection according to claim 4, wherein an inflow pipe for allowing water to flow into the drain tank is provided in the drain tank, and an outlet of the inflow pipe is disposed above an inlet of the outflow pipe. apparatus.

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