JP2011036853A - Ultrasonic mist generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic mist generator which can generate fine mists effectively in large amounts. <P>SOLUTION: In the ultrasonic mist generator 1, a blower 30 is arranged above a liquid surface LV in a mist raw material liquid storage part 18, and the mists drifting up from the liquid surface LV by ultrasonic oscillations are suctioned together with surrounding air, and are sent out from airflow outlet 16A while turning to a direction crossing a normal line of the liquid surface LV as mist-containing airflow FGV. Since the blower 30 is housed in an apparatus chassis 2 together with the mist raw material liquid storage part 18, there is no loss of mist particles due to leakage airflow outside the apparatus. Further, it is possible to suppress a return loss of the mist particles in the mist raw material liquid storage part 18 as much as possible by suctioning once the mists generated from the liquid surface LV containing coarse particles on a suction side of the blower 30 without leakage. The mist particles are fed in a coarse particle separation part 20 arranged at a sending-out side downstream of the blower 30 in a lump, and the desired fine mist particles can be discharged in a high concentration from a mist-containing airflow discharge part 3 by removing the coarse particles. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic fog generator.

  Patent Documents 1 to 5 disclose a spray device in which water molecules are atomized by an ultrasonic vibrator. The water particles atomized by spraying or ultrasonic friction are positively charged by the so-called Leonard effect, and the same amount of negative ions is generated in the air due to the charge balance. By releasing this into the air, the effects of deodorizing the room (or the interior of the vehicle), purifying the indoor air, preventing charging of the interior of the room, etc. can be exerted, so various proposals have already been made as air purification devices. (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Moreover, the humidification effect by water droplet discharge | release is also expectable.

  Since the fog particles generated by spraying or ultrasonic vibration friction include coarse water droplets, if they are released as they are, there is a problem that the water droplets adhere to and wet the surrounding articles. Therefore, in Patent Documents 3 and 4, the mist generated by spraying or ultrasonic waves is once guided to a pipeline by a blower, and coarse water droplets are collected by a cyclone provided in the middle of the pipeline. Proposals have been made to release only water droplets. In addition, Patent Document 5 introduces a swirling airflow from a side wall side of the fog chamber to the mist rising from the water surface in the fog chamber by adding ultrasonic vibrations, so that the fog particles having a certain particle diameter or more are mixed with the swirling flow. An apparatus for generating finer mist by returning to the water surface is disclosed.

  Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-588555   Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-126717   JP-T-2001-510731   JP 2001-304638 A   JP 2006-136873 A

  However, all of the fog generators disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5 are provided with a blower for sending a mist-containing airflow at a position deviated laterally with respect to the water surface in the fog chamber, and the fog rising from the water surface However, as a result of being preliminarily classified in the fog chamber by a strong air flow and returning to water, the atomization efficiency is poor and the amount of generated fog is small.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic fog generator capable of generating a large amount of fine fog efficiently.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to solve the above problems, the ultrasonic fog generator of the present invention is
The upper part is opened, and the mist raw material liquid storage part for storing the mist raw material liquid;
In the mist raw material liquid storage unit, an ultrasonic transducer is disposed so that the ultrasonic wave generation surface is submerged in the stored mist raw material liquid, and an ultrasonic vibration is added to the mist raw material liquid to atomize it. When,
The mist raw material liquid storage part is arranged above the liquid level of the stored mist raw material liquid, and the mist rising from the liquid surface by the addition of ultrasonic vibration is sucked together with air, and the normal of the liquid level as a mist-containing air flow A blower that sends out from an air flow outlet while changing direction in a direction intersecting with
An apparatus housing having an outside air inlet for forming a mist-containing airflow while collectively storing the mist raw material liquid storage portion and the blower from the surrounding space, and
A coarse mist particle separation unit that is disposed adjacent to the blower in the direction of delivery of the mist-containing air current, and separates and removes coarse mist particles that exceed a predetermined particle size included in the mist-containing air current;
A mist-containing airflow discharge section for releasing the mist-containing airflow after separating and removing coarse mist particles toward the surrounding atmosphere;
It is provided with.

  According to the ultrasonic mist generator of the present invention, a blower is disposed above the liquid level in the mist raw material liquid storage unit, and the mist rising from the liquid level by ultrasonic vibration is sucked together with the air, so that the mist-containing airflow It sends out from the air flow outlet while changing direction to intersect the normal. That is, the mist rising from the liquid level is sucked up to the suction side of the blower arranged above the liquid level, so that the mist particles that return to the liquid level by the preliminary classification in the mist raw material liquid storage part can be greatly reduced. it can. In addition, since the blower is housed in the apparatus housing together with the mist raw material liquid container, the mist particles are not lost by the leakage airflow to the outside of the apparatus. In other words, the mist generated from the liquid surface, including coarse particles, is sucked up without leaking to the suction side of the blower, thereby reducing the return loss of the mist particles in the mist raw material liquid storage unit as much as possible. Then, the mist particles are collectively sent to a coarse mist particle separation unit arranged on the downstream side of the blower, and the coarse mist particles are removed, so that the desired fine mist particles are highly concentrated from the mist-containing airflow discharge unit. Can be released. Thus, an ultrasonic fog generator capable of generating a large amount of fine fog efficiently is realized.

  The blower can be configured as a centrifugal fan. The rotary blower of the centrifugal fan can be arranged so that the axial end on the airflow suction side faces the liquid surface downward. Then, the rotating blower can be covered with a rectifying cover that opens at the lower end of an airflow inlet for sucking an airflow along with mist from the liquid surface, and a mist-containing airflow outlet can be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rectifying cover. . Fog generated from the liquid surface can be sucked up very efficiently by making the axial direction end of the rotating blower of the centrifugal fan on the airflow suction side face the liquid surface. Then, by covering the rotary blower with the rectifying cover and forming the mist-containing airflow outlet on the outer peripheral surface of the rectifying cover, the airflow containing the sucked mist can be guided to the outlet.

  In the centrifugal fan, the tip of the rotating shaft of the drive motor is attached to the axial end surface opposite to the surface facing the liquid surface of the rotating air blower, and the main body of the drive motor is the end surface on the opposite side of the rotating air blower. Therefore, it can be arranged so as to protrude upward with respect to the rectifying cover. As a result, the drive motor is eliminated from the central portion of the rotating air blower and the suction space can be opened to the liquid surface side, so that the mist suction efficiency is further enhanced. As a rotating blower suitable for the structure, a sirocco fan in which a cylindrical hollow frame and a plurality of blower blades are assembled in the circumferential direction of the hollow frame can be suitably employed in the present invention.

  The rectifying cover can be attached to the upper inner surface of the device housing, and the drive motor can be arranged so as to protrude above the top surface portion of the device housing. In this way, the upper part of the device housing can be used as a part of the mist-containing air flow passage, and the drive motor projects outside the device housing to make the housing compact and effectively use the space inside the housing. Can be achieved.

  The coarse mist particle separation unit is a cyclone classification unit formed in a conical shape whose diameter is reduced as the inner peripheral surface is directed to the lower end side while the mist-containing air flow blown from the air flow outlet is introduced into the inside from the upper end side. It can be configured as having. Thereby, coarse fog particles can be efficiently separated and removed. In order to efficiently generate a swirling flow for classification in the cyclone, it is desirable to introduce a mist-containing air flow in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface with respect to the cyclone classification portion.

  The mist-containing airflow discharge portion can be a mist discharge passage that is connected to the upper end of the cyclone classification portion and opens a mist discharge port at the end. As a result, the mist-containing airflow from the blower hits the upper downstream side wall of the cyclone classification section to form a swirling flow, while the cyclone-side classified airflow mainly composed of coarse mist particles and the classified mist content mainly composed of fine mist particles It can be effectively separated from the air current. In this case, the mist discharge passage can be inserted and arranged in the axial direction inside the cyclone classifying portion such that the lower end side enters the conical inner peripheral surface section. If it does in this way, there exists an advantage which can set a fog classification particle size freely according to the axial direction position with respect to the cyclone classification part internal peripheral surface of a lower end opening edge of a fog discharge passage, and also the cyclone internal diameter in the said axial direction position. In addition, as for a fog discharge channel | path, it is desirable to comprise as a cylindrical member arrange | positioned coaxially with a cyclone inner peripheral surface.

  In this case, the fog discharge passage can be configured to have a variable insertion length in the axial direction with respect to the cyclone classification portion on the lower end side. If the insertion length into the cyclone classification part at the lower end side of the fog discharge passage changes, the inner diameter of the cyclone corresponding to the lower end opening edge changes, so that the fog classification particle size also changes. That is, by changing the insertion length, it is possible to adjust the mist classification particle size and thus the mist particle size (or its distribution) in the mist-containing airflow to be discharged.

  In said structure, the return pipeline which returns the separation airflow containing the coarse mist particle which flows in into the cyclone classification part side to the mist raw material liquid storage part above the liquid level of a mist raw material liquid can be provided. By returning the coarse mist particles from the cyclone classification unit to the mist raw material liquid storage unit, wasteful consumption of the mist raw material liquid can be suppressed, and effective utilization of the supplied mist raw material liquid can be achieved.

  Further, the ultrasonic fog generator of the present invention includes a fog concentration detecting means for detecting the fog concentration in the fog-containing airflow after separating and removing coarse fog particles, and the blower amount of the blower according to the detected fog concentration. And a ventilation control means for adjusting the air flow. Thereby, control of the amount of fog discharge becomes easy. Specifically, the mist discharge amount can be kept constant by configuring the air blowing control means so as to adjust the air blowing amount of the blower so that the fog concentration approaches a predetermined target value. The mist concentration detection means has, for example, a configuration including a light projecting unit that projects detection light onto a mist-containing gas flowing in the mist discharge passage, and a light receiving unit that receives the detection light that has passed through the mist-containing gas. The fog density can be easily detected based on the light detection intensity of the light receiving unit.

  A negative-polarity discharge electrode can be attached to the mist-containing airflow discharge portion, and the mist-containing airflow can be discharged while being in contact with the discharge electrode. Thereby, the negative charging of the emitted mist particles can be promoted, and the effects such as the deodorizing effect in the room (or in the vehicle), the purification of indoor air, and the prevention of charging in the indoor interior can be further promoted. Moreover, a part of oxygen in the airflow can be ozonized, and a sterilizing function can be imparted to the mist-containing airflow.

  Moreover, an ultraviolet-ray generation | occurrence | production part can also be attached to a fog containing airflow discharge | release part, and it can discharge | emit, irradiating an ultraviolet-ray to a fog containing airflow. As a result, some of the oxygen in the air stream is ozonized, or the generation of hydroxy radicals by the reaction of oxygen (or generated ozone) with water molecules in the mist particles promotes the sterilization function of the mist-containing air stream. Can be granted.

  FIG. 2 is a two-sided view showing the appearance of an ultrasonic fog generator that is one embodiment of the present invention.   Sectional drawing which similarly shows an internal structure.   Explanatory drawing of the mechanism which makes variable the approach length of the fog discharge passage into a cyclone classification part.   The circuit diagram which shows an example of the control system of the ultrasonic fog generator of this invention.   Sectional drawing which shows the example which provides a negative polarity discharge electrode in a fog discharge passage.   Sectional drawing which shows the example which provides an ultraviolet-ray generation part in a fog discharge passage.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an ultrasonic fog generator that constitutes an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic fog generator 1 has an apparatus housing 2, and an operation panel 5 is attached to the front side thereof. The operation panel 5 is provided with a power switch 6, a fog density setting unit 7, a power lamp 8 and a liquid out warning lamp 9. Further, a tubular mist discharge passage (hereinafter also referred to as a mist discharge passage 3) that forms a mist-containing airflow discharge portion 3 is provided on the top surface portion 2T of the device housing 2 so as to protrude, and a mist discharge port 3B is opened at the tip thereof. Is formed. On the other hand, a tank setting port for setting the mist raw material liquid tank in the apparatus housing 2 is formed in the top surface portion 2T and is closed by a door 11 so as to be opened and closed. Moreover, the drive motor 10 of the air blower mentioned later is protrudingly arranged.

  FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the ultrasonic mist generating apparatus 1, and the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18, the ultrasonic vibrator 25, the blower 30, and the coarse mist particle separation unit 20 are included in the above-described apparatus housing 2. Etc. are assembled. The mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 is assembled on the bottom surface of the device housing 2 with metal or resin, is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open top, and stores the mist raw material liquid (for example, water) L. The ultrasonic vibrator 25 is disposed in the mist raw material liquid storage section 18 so that the ultrasonic wave generation surface A is submerged in the stored mist raw material liquid L, and ultrasonic vibration is applied to the mist raw material liquid L. This is atomized by adding. The blower 30 is disposed above the liquid level LV of the stored mist raw material liquid L with respect to the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18, sucks the mist rising from the liquid level LV with the addition of ultrasonic vibration together with the air, The contained air flow FGV is sent from the air flow outlet 16A while changing its direction in the direction intersecting the normal of the liquid level LV.

  The apparatus housing 2 divides the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 and the blower 30 from the surrounding space, and collectively stores them, and has a garage-like outside air inlet 2N for forming a mist-containing air flow FGV. . The coarse mist particle separation unit 20 is disposed adjacent to the blower 30 in the direction in which the mist-containing airflow FGV is sent, and separates and removes coarse mist particles that exceed the predetermined particle diameter included in the mist-containing airflow FGV. The mist-containing airflow discharge unit 3 releases the mist-containing airflow FGX after separating and removing coarse mist particles toward the surrounding atmosphere.

  The ultrasonic transducer 25 is attached to the upper surface of the base 24 disposed at the bottom of the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 so that the ultrasonic radiation surface 25A and the water surface LV are substantially parallel. When the resin or metal mist raw material liquid tank 21 is set in the apparatus housing 2 from the tank setting port so that the liquid supply port 21t side is down, the liquid supply port 21t enters the tank support portion 22 in the apparatus housing 2. In this manner, the mist raw material liquid tank 21 is supported by the tank support portion 22. The tank support part 22 is connected by the mist raw material liquid storage part 18 and the liquid supply pipe 23, and when the water level in the mist raw material liquid storage part 18 falls due to the generation of mist, the mist raw material liquid is supplied from the tank 21 based on the siphon principle. The liquid is supplied to the mist raw material liquid storage section 18 through the liquid supply pipe 23, and the liquid level LV is maintained constant.

  Next, the blower 30 is configured as a centrifugal fan (hereinafter, also referred to as a centrifugal fan 30), and the rotating blower 15 of the centrifugal fan 30 has an axial end (lower surface side) on the airflow suction side, and the mist raw material. It arrange | positions so that it may oppose downward with respect to the liquid level LV in the liquid accommodating part 18. As shown in FIG. The rotating blower 15 is covered with a rectifying cover 16. The rectifying cover 16 has a circular air flow inlet 16Q for sucking an air flow along with the mist from the liquid level LV at the lower end, and a blowout protrusion 17 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface. The FGV outlet 16A is formed as an opening. Specifically, the centrifugal fan 30 is configured as a sirocco fan in which the rotary blower 15 has a cylindrical hollow frame 15Q and a plurality of blower blades 15F are assembled in the circumferential direction of the hollow frame 15Q.

  Specifically, the centrifugal fan 30 is configured as a sirocco fan in which the rotary blower 15 has a cylindrical hollow frame 15Q and a plurality of blower blades 15F are assembled in the circumferential direction of the hollow frame 15Q. The tip end of the rotating shaft 15J of the drive motor 10 is attached to the axial end surface opposite to the liquid surface LV of the rotating blower 15, and the main body of the drive motor 10 is opposite to the rotating blower 15. On the side end face side, the rectifying cover 16 is disposed so as to protrude upward. The rectifying cover 16 is attached to the inner surface (lower surface) of the top surface portion 2T of the apparatus housing 2, and the drive motor 10 is disposed so as to protrude above the top surface portion 2T.

  The coarse mist particle separation unit 20 is a cone-shaped cyclone classification unit (in which the mist-containing airflow FGV blown from the airflow outlet 16A is introduced into the inside from the upper end side and the diameter of the inner peripheral surface decreases toward the lower end side ( Hereinafter, it is also configured as a cyclone classifying unit 20). The air flow outlet 16A is connected in communication with the upper end of the cyclone classifying unit 20 through the throttle unit 19 and the air flow passage unit 19A. The end of the airflow passage portion 19A is connected to the outer peripheral tangential direction of the upper end portion of the cyclone classification portion 20 having a circular axial cross section, and the mist-containing airflow FGV is introduced to the cyclone classification portion 20 in the inner peripheral surface tangential direction. It is like that. The separated air stream containing coarse mist particles flowing into the cyclone classification unit 20 side is stored in the mist raw material liquid above the liquid level LV of the mist raw material liquid L through the return pipe 20R from the lower end of the cyclone classification unit 20. It is returned to the part 18.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the mist discharge passage 3 constituting the mist-containing airflow discharge portion is connected to the upper end of the cyclone classification portion 20 and is formed in a cylindrical shape that opens the mist discharge port 3B at the end. Specifically, the fog discharge passage 3 is inserted in the axial direction in such a manner that the lower end side enters the conical inner peripheral surface section with respect to the inside of the cyclone classification unit 20. A through-hole 2J into which the mist discharge passage 3 is fitted with a gap is formed in the top surface portion 2T of the housing 2, and the mist discharge passage 3 can advance and retreat in the axial direction in the through-hole 2J. A stopper ring 4 having a radial slit 4S is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the mist discharge passage 3. A lock bolt 4B is screwed into the stopper ring 4 so as to cross the slit 4S. When the lock bolt 4B is loosened, the slit 4S expands, and the stopper ring 4 extends in the axial direction along the outer peripheral surface of the fog discharge passage 3. It becomes possible to move to.

In this state, when the stopper ring 4 is positioned at a desired position on the outer peripheral surface of the fog discharge passage 3 and the lock bolt 4B is screwed in, the slit 4S is reduced, and the stopper ring 4 is fastened and fixed at this position. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, when the lower end side of the mist discharge passage 3 is inserted into the through hole 2J with the stopper ring 4 attached, the mist discharge passage 3 is stopped by the peripheral region of the through hole 2J of the top surface portion 2T. It becomes the form supported by the lower surface of. Depending on the mounting position of the stopper ring 4, the mist discharge passage 3 has a variable insertion length in the axial direction with respect to the cyclone classification portion 20 on the lower end side. Further, as the insertion length h is increased, the inner peripheral surface radius r of the cyclone classification unit 20 corresponding to the lower end opening of the fog discharge passage 3 is reduced (in FIG. 3, the insertion length h ₁ <h ₂ , the inner peripheral surface radius r). ₁ > r ₂ ). As a result, the swirling flow velocity in the cyclone classification unit 20 at the lower end opening position of the mist discharge passage 3 increases, and the centrifugal trapping force for heavy mist droplets, that is, large-sized droplets increases, so that the mist discharge passage 3 flows into the mist discharge passage 3 side. The ratio of large droplets is reduced. That is, the average particle diameter of the mist droplets discharged from the mist discharge port 3B through the mist discharge passage 3 is reduced. Conversely, if the insertion length h decreases, the swirling flow velocity at the lower end opening position of the mist discharge passage 3 decreases, and the centrifugal trapping force for large-diameter droplets decreases, so that the mist discharge port 3B passes through the mist discharge passage 3. The average particle size of the mist droplets discharged from is increased.

  Returning to FIG. 2, a level sensor (liquid level sensor) 26 is attached to the inner surface of the side wall of the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18, the mist raw material liquid tank 21 becomes empty, and the liquid level in the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18. Is below the detection level, the level sensor 26 enters a liquid level non-detection state (in this case, it is in the on state, but it may be a logic that corresponds to the off state). Further, on the inner surface of the mist discharge passage 3, mist concentration detection sensors 53 and 56 for detecting the mist concentration in the mist-containing airflow FGX after separating and removing coarse mist particles by the cyclone classification unit 20 are provided as mist concentration detecting means. ing. In this embodiment, the mist concentration detection sensors 53 and 56 project the detection light to the mist-containing gas flowing in the mist discharge passage 3 (in this embodiment, it is configured by a light emitting diode). And a light receiving portion 56 (in this embodiment, configured by a photodiode) that receives the detection light that has passed through the mist-containing gas, and the mist based on the light detection intensity of the light receiving portion 56 Concentration is detected. Specifically, the light projecting unit 53 emits detection light into the mist-containing airflow with a constant light amount, and when the fog concentration is high, the amount of light reaching the light receiving unit 56 is reduced, and when the fog concentration is low. Increases the amount of light reached. That is, since the detection output of the light receiving unit 56 changes monotonously according to the fog density, the fog density can be detected using this.

  In the present embodiment, with reference to the detected fog density, control is performed to adjust the air flow rate of the blower 30 so that the fog density approaches a predetermined target value. As described above, the blower 30 is configured as a sirocco fan, and plays a role of sucking up the mist generated by the ultrasonic vibrator 25 in the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 and sending it to the cyclone classification unit 20. If the output (vibration amplitude) and frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 25 are controlled within a certain range, the amount of mist rising from the liquid level LV in the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 becomes substantially constant. Therefore, when the drive rotational speed of the blower 30 is increased, the mist suction amount is increased, and when the drive rotational speed is decreased, the mist suction amount is decreased. Therefore, when the fog density exceeds the target value, the drive rotation speed of the blower 30 is decreased as the distance from the target value increases, and when the fog density is lower than the target value, Control is performed so as to increase the drive rotational speed of the blower 30 as the distance increases.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the control system. The power source is commercial AC (AC 100 V), which is input to a main power circuit 73 for driving the blower 30 and the like, and converted into a main power voltage (+ V _DD ) for DC driving. When the main power switch 6 is turned on, the main power supply voltage + V _DD is supplied to the light emitting diode that forms the power lamp 8, and this is turned on. The main power supply voltage is output to the drive motor 10 (motor driver 71) of the blower 30 and the like, and is also distributed and supplied to the signal power supply circuit 75. The signal power supply circuit 75 outputs a signal power supply voltage + _VCC .

  The level sensor 26 is turned on when the liquid level is not detected, and the output voltage becomes “H (high level)”. With this output, the light-emitting diode that forms the out-of-liquid warning lamp 9 is turned on. On the other hand, the light projecting unit 53 of the fog density detection sensor is intermittently driven by a reference pulse signal having a constant frequency in order to improve noise resistance against disturbance light or the like. The pulse output from the reference pulse generation circuit 51 is input to the logic IC 52 together with the output of the level sensor 26. The logic IC 52 intermittently drives the light projecting unit 53 with a pulse drive pattern corresponding to the reference pulse signal only when the input from the level sensor 26 is in a liquid level detection state (here, “L (low level)”). .

The photodiode 56 forming the light receiving unit 56 is reverse-biased by the signal power supply voltage + _VCC , and the current value increases as the received light intensity increases, that is, the fog concentration decreases. The input voltage input to the amplifier 58 is lowered. That is, the output of the amplifier 58 exhibits a characteristic that increases monotonously in response to an increase in fog density. Since the output is a bipolar pulse signal, it is converted into a unipolar smoothed fog density voltage signal V _fc by the rectifying diode 62 and the time constant smoothing circuit 63, and the fog density setting voltage (target) from the fog density setting unit 7 is set. A value voltage _Vfd is input to the differential amplifier 66. The differential amplifier 66 outputs to the motor driver 71 a motor drive instruction voltage V _dv that is proportional to the differential voltage V _fc −V _fd between the smoothed mist concentration voltage signal V _fc and the mist concentration setting voltage V _fd . The motor driver 71 refers to the motor drive instruction voltage V _dv, and drives the blower drive motor 10 at a predetermined reference speed when V _dv is zero, for example. Further, when the V _{dv> 0} increases the speed of the drive motor 10 as the absolute value of V _dv increases, when the V _{dv <0} decreases the speed of the drive motor 10 as the absolute value of V _dv increases control To do.

If the output of the amplifier 58 that amplifies the detection signal of the photodiode 56 (hereinafter also referred to as fog density detection pulse signal _Pdet ) is not affected by noise such as ambient light, the frequency and phase substantially correspond to the reference pulse signal. Pulse signal. In this embodiment, the fog density detection pulse signal P _det is rectified and then shaped by the comparator 7 on the basis of an appropriate threshold voltage, and is input to the noise determination circuit 80 together with the reference pulse signal P _ref from the reference pulse generation circuit 51. The The noise determination circuit 80 outputs an inhibit signal (drive inhibition signal) to the motor driver 71 when the degree of mismatch between the fog density detection pulse signal P _det and the reference pulse signal P _ref is greater than a certain level. In response to this, the motor driver 71 performs control to stop or limit the differential of the drive motor 10.

In the present embodiment, the noise determination circuit 80 is configured as follows. First, the fog density detection pulse signal P _det and the reference pulse signal P _ref are input to the exclusive OR IC 72. When the fog density detection pulse signal P _det is a pulse signal having a frequency and phase substantially corresponding to the reference pulse signal (that is, when not affected by noise), the output of the exclusive OR IC 72 is almost steady. Therefore, it becomes L level. On the other hand, if the degree of mismatch between the fog density detection pulse signal P _det and the reference pulse signal P _ref is large due to the influence of noise or the like, the period during which the binary input of both signals to the exclusive OR IC 72 is mismatched increases. The exclusive OR IC 72 outputs an irregular pulse signal corresponding to the mismatch period. Therefore, smoothed by the capacitor 83 the output of the exclusive OR IC 72, is the level adjusted by the resistor bridge 81 and the noise reflected signal S _J ungated, the comparator 80c serving as an output portion of which the inhibit signal, another resistor via the bridge is compared with the threshold voltage signal S _R to be inputted. The comparator 80c, if the noise reflected signal S _J exceeds the level of the threshold voltage signal S _R, forms an inhibit signal output active (H level in this case).

Hereinafter, the operation of the ultrasonic fog generator 1 will be described.
First, the mist raw material liquid tank 21 shown in FIG. 2 is filled with a mist raw material liquid such as water and set in the apparatus housing 2. When the mist raw material liquid is supplied to the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18, the power switch 6 is turned on. Then, the ultrasonic transducer 25 and the blower 30 start operation. In the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18, mist particles having various particle diameters are generated from the liquid level LV by ultrasonic vibration. Since the mist rising from the liquid level LV is sucked up to the suction side of the blower 30 disposed above the liquid level LV, the mist particles that return to the liquid level LV due to preliminary classification in the fog raw material liquid container 18 are greatly reduced. Can be reduced. Further, since the blower 30 is housed in the apparatus housing 2 together with the fog raw material liquid container 18, the fog particles are not lost due to the leaked airflow to the outside of the apparatus. In other words, the mist generated from the liquid level LV is sucked up to the suction side of the blower 30 without leaking including coarse particles, so that the return loss of the mist particles in the mist raw material liquid storage unit 18 can be suppressed as much as possible.

  The sucked mist particles are sent together as a mist-containing air flow FGV to a cyclone classification unit (coarse mist particle separation unit) 20 disposed downstream of the blower 30 while efficiently removing the coarse mist particles. The desired fine mist particles are discharged from the mist discharge passage 3 at a high concentration.

  The rotary blower 13 of the centrifugal fan constitutes a sirocco fan, and its axial end on the airflow suction side faces the liquid level LV, so that the efficiency of sucking up fog generated from the liquid level LV is further enhanced. It has been. The rotary blower 15 is covered with a rectifying cover 16, and a mist-containing air flow FGV outlet 16A is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rectifying cover 16, so that the mist-containing air FGV is guided to the outlet 16A without exception. . Further, the drive motor 10 is excluded from the central portion of the rotary blower 15 and the cylindrical suction space is opened on the liquid level LV side, which contributes to improvement of the mist suction efficiency.

As described above, the mist discharge passage 3 can arbitrarily adjust the mist particle size (or its distribution) in the mist-containing air flow FGX by changing the insertion length in the axial direction with respect to the cyclone classification unit 20. As described above, the rotational speed of the blower 30 is automatically adjusted so that the fog density detected by the fog density detection sensor approaches the target value. When the volume knob constituting the mist density setting unit 7 in FIG. 1 is operated, the mist density setting voltage (target value) V _fd is changed by the variable resistor 70 in FIG. Can be adjusted to a desired value.

Hereinafter, modifications of the ultrasonic fog generator of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, a negative discharge electrode 32 can be attached to the mist discharge passage (fog-containing airflow discharge portion) 3. In FIG. 5, frames 3F and 3F (for example, as shown in the figure) for attaching the electrode terminals 3J and 3J to the mist discharge passage 3 while allowing the airflow to be sucked or discharged into the opening at both ends of the cylindrical mist discharge passage 3. Cross-shaped ones are provided. The discharge electrode 32 is linearly formed of a metal such as stainless steel or titanium, and is stretched between the electrode terminals 3J and 3J so as to be substantially along the central axis of the fog discharge passage 3. A negative high voltage of about 1000 to 20000 V is applied to the discharge electrode 32 from the power source (not shown) via the electrode terminals 3J, 3J, and the mist-containing air flow FGX flowing through the mist discharge passage 3 is brought into contact with the discharge electrode 32. Is released. The discharged mist particles are promoted to be negatively charged by the negative high electric field formed by the discharge electrode 32, and further promote the effects of deodorizing the interior (or the interior of the vehicle), purifying the indoor air, and preventing the interior interior from being charged. Is done. Moreover, a part of oxygen in the airflow can be ozonized, and a sterilizing function can be imparted to the fog-containing airflow FGX.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, an ultraviolet ray generating part can be attached to the fog discharge passage (mist-containing airflow discharge part) 3. Here, an ultraviolet ray lamp 31 such as a low-pressure mercury lamp or an excimer lamp is used as the ultraviolet ray generator 31. Specifically, frames 3F and 3F (for example, as shown in the figure) for attaching the lamp sockets 3S and 3S to the mist discharge passage 3 while allowing the airflow to be sucked or discharged into the opening at both ends of the cylindrical mist discharge passage 3. Cross-shaped ones are provided. The ultraviolet lamp 31 has a straight tube shape, and both ends thereof are mounted on the lamp sockets 3S and 3S, are arranged along the substantially central axis of the fog discharge passage 3, and are connected to a well-known drive circuit (not shown) and driven to light. The fog-containing airflow FGX flowing through the fog discharge passage 3 is discharged while being irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 31.

  In particular, when an ultraviolet lamp capable of generating a wavelength band in the vacuum ultraviolet region (10 nm or more and 200 nm or less) such as a low-pressure mercury lamp or an excimer lamp is adopted, a part of oxygen in the air stream is ozonized or oxygen (or generation) The sterilization function can be imparted to the fog-containing airflow FGX by promoting the generation of hydroxy radicals by the reaction between the ozone) and water molecules in the fog particles. The low-pressure mercury lamp has remarkable peaks at two locations of 185 nm and 254 nm in the ultraviolet spectrum, and among these, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 185 nm contributes effectively to the ozonization of oxygen. On the other hand, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 254 nm promotes decomposition of generated ozone into active oxygen, and further generation of hydroxy radicals by reaction with water molecules derived from fog particles of the active oxygen. All contribute to further improvement of the bactericidal effect or the decomposition effect of odor components.

On the other hand, the excimer lamp can emit monochromatic light in the vacuum ultraviolet region (Ar ₂ ^* : 126 nm, F ₂ ^* : 158 nm, Xe ₂ ^* : 172 nm, etc., in particular, a xenon excimer lamp having a wavelength of 172 nm is preferable) More efficient ozonization is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic fog generator 2 Apparatus housing 2N Outside air inlet 3 Fog discharge passage (fog containing airflow discharge part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Drive motor 15 Rotating air blower 15J Rotating shaft 15Q Hollow frame 15F Air blower blade 16Q Airflow suction inlet 16A Outlet 16 Rectification cover 18 Mist raw material liquid storage part 20 Cyclone classification part (coarse mist particle separation part)
20R Return pipe 25 Ultrasonic vibrator 30 Blower 31 Ultraviolet lamp (ultraviolet generation part)
32 Discharge electrode 53 Projection part (fog density detection means)
56 Light-receiving part (fog density detection means)
FGV, FGX Fog-containing airflow

Claims (16)

The upper part is opened, and the mist raw material liquid storage part for storing the mist raw material liquid;
In the mist raw material liquid storage unit, an ultrasonic wave is disposed so that an ultrasonic wave generation surface is submerged in the stored mist raw material liquid, and ultrasonic waves are atomized by adding ultrasonic vibration to the mist raw material liquid. A vibrator,
With respect to the mist raw material liquid storage part, the mist that is disposed above the liquid level of the stored mist raw material liquid and rises from the liquid level by the addition of the ultrasonic vibration is sucked together with air, and the mist-containing airflow is A blower that sends out from an air flow outlet while changing direction in a direction crossing the normal of the liquid level;
An apparatus housing having an outside air inlet for forming the mist-containing airflow while collectively storing the mist raw material liquid storage unit and the blower while partitioning from the surrounding space,
A coarse mist particle separation unit that is arranged adjacent to the blower in the direction of delivery of the mist-containing air current and separates and removes coarse mist particles that exceed a predetermined particle diameter included in the mist-containing air current;
A mist-containing airflow discharge unit that discharges the mist-containing airflow after separating and removing the coarse mist particles toward the surrounding atmosphere;
An ultrasonic fog generator characterized by comprising:   The blower is configured as a centrifugal fan, and the rotary fan of the centrifugal fan is disposed so that an axial end on the airflow suction side faces downward with respect to the liquid level, and from the liquid level. The rotary air blower is covered with a rectifying cover that opens an air flow inlet for sucking an air flow along with mist at the lower end, and a blowout port for the mist-containing air flow is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rectifying cover. The ultrasonic fog generator described.   The centrifugal fan has a rotation shaft tip of a drive motor attached to an axial end surface opposite to the liquid surface of the rotary blower, and the main body of the drive motor is opposite to the rotary blower. The ultrasonic fog generator of Claim 2 arrange | positioned in the form which protrudes upwards with respect to the said rectification | straightening cover in the end surface side.   The ultrasonic fog generator according to claim 3, wherein the rotary blower is configured as a cylindrical hollow frame and a sirocco fan in which a plurality of blower blades are assembled in a circumferential direction of the hollow frame.   The ultrasonic mist according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the rectifying cover is attached to an upper inner surface of the device housing, and the drive motor is disposed so as to protrude above a top surface portion of the device housing. Generator.   The coarse mist particle separation unit is a cyclone formed in a conical shape in which the mist-containing air flow blown from the air flow outlet is introduced into the inside from the upper end side, and the inner peripheral surface is reduced in diameter toward the upper end side. The ultrasonic fog generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a classification unit.   The ultrasonic mist generator according to claim 6, wherein the mist-containing airflow is introduced in a direction tangential to an inner circumferential surface with respect to the cyclone classification unit.   The ultrasonic mist generator according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the mist-containing airflow discharge portion is a mist discharge passage that is connected to the upper end of the cyclone classification portion and opens a mist discharge port at the end.   The ultrasonic fog generator according to claim 8, wherein the fog discharge passage is inserted into the cyclone classifying portion in an axial direction so that a lower end side enters the conical inner peripheral surface section.   The ultrasonic fog generator according to claim 9, wherein the fog discharge passage is configured such that an insertion length in an axial direction with respect to the cyclone classification unit on the lower end side is variable.   7. A return pipe is provided for returning the separated air stream containing the coarse mist particles flowing into the cyclone classifying unit to the mist raw material liquid storage unit above the liquid level of the mist raw material liquid. The ultrasonic fog generator according to any one of claims 10 to 10. Fog concentration detecting means for detecting the fog concentration in the fog-containing airflow after separating and removing the coarse fog particles;
The ultrasonic fog generator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a blowing control unit that adjusts a blowing amount of the blower according to the detected fog concentration.   The ultrasonic mist generating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the air blowing control means adjusts the air blowing amount of the blower so that the fog concentration approaches a predetermined target value.   The fog concentration detecting means includes a light projecting unit that projects detection light onto the fog-containing gas flowing in the fog discharge passage, and a light receiving unit that receives the detection light that has passed through the fog-containing gas. The ultrasonic fog generator according to claim 13, wherein the fog density is detected based on the light detection intensity of the light receiving unit.   The ultrasonic mist generation according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a negative discharge electrode is attached to the mist-containing airflow discharge portion, and the mist-containing airflow is released while being in contact with the discharge electrode. apparatus.   The ultrasonic fog generator according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein an ultraviolet ray generation unit is attached to the fog-containing airflow discharge unit, and the fog-containing airflow is emitted while being irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

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