JP2011052875A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidifier capable of suppressing falling displacement of a holding frame due to ventilation action which receives and holds a humidification filter and rotates, with a simple constitution not interfering mounting/demounting of the holding frame, and preventing an occurrence of a problem accompanying a displacement. <P>SOLUTION: A flanged stopper section 33 projecting outward in a radial direction is peripherally disposed at one side in a face width direction, of a ring gear section 32 disposed on an outer periphery of a holding frame 30 receiving and holding a humidification filter, and is opposed to an end face of a transmission gear 51 engaged with the ring gear section 32 from an upstream side in a ventilation direction, thus a falling displacement of the holding frame 30 in the ventilation direction can be suppressed by bringing the stopper section 33 into contact with the end face of the transmission gear 51. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a humidifier configured to pass air through a humidifying filter containing water and to send out humid air containing vaporized water led out downstream of the humidifying filter.

  In recent years, humidifiers for giving appropriate humidity to indoor air are widely used in accordance with the increase in health orientation. In particular, vaporizing humidifiers that enable humidification without heating and evaporation of water (see, for example, Patent Document 1) can adjust humidity without affecting the indoor temperature, so that the spread of the humidifier is expanded. is doing.

  The vaporizing humidifier is arranged in the middle of the air passage connecting the suction port and the discharge port with a fan and a humidifying filter containing water, and is introduced into the air passage through the air inlet by the operation of the air fan. The air is passed through a humidifying filter and sent out indoors through a discharge port.

  The humidification filter is a sheet made of a material (nonwoven fabric or the like) that has high water content and can be ventilated, is folded in a bellows shape to increase the contact area with the vent, and is stored and held in a disc-shaped holding frame. . The holding frame is rotatably supported around the horizontal axis on the upper part of the water tray for storing a fixed amount of water, and the lower part is immersed in the stored water in the water tray, and is engaged with a ring gear provided on the outer periphery. It is rotated at a low speed by transmission from the gear.

  The holding frame has openings for ventilation on both sides facing the air passage, and the air flowing through the air passage enters the holding frame through the opening on one side and is moistened with vaporized moisture by contact with the humidifying filter. Air is sent out through the opening on the other side. The humidifying filter sucks up the stored water in the water receiving tray while rotating together with the holding frame, and replenishes the water lost with vaporization.

JP 2009-85511 A

  In the humidifier configured as described above, the rotating holding frame is subjected to air resistance when air passes through the humidifying filter stored and held therein, and the holding frame is pushed in the direction of ventilation. And the displacement between the ring gear and the transmission gear on the outer periphery of the holding frame is impaired, causing various problems associated with transmission inhibition, such as increased transmission load, generation of transmission noise, and tooth surface wear. there were.

  This problem can be solved by strengthening the support structure of the holding frame and suppressing the falling displacement due to the action of ventilation. However, the holding frame needs to be attached / detached for maintenance and replacement of the humidified filter stored and held, and strengthening of the support structure that makes this attachment / detachment difficult is not a desirable measure.

  The transmission to the holding frame can be realized by a frictional transmission that includes a transmission roller that is in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the holding frame in place of the gear transmission by the transmission gear and the ring gear, and that uses friction at the rolling contact portion. Even in this case, there is a problem in that the falling displacement of the holding frame causes the transmission inhibition, and the above-described problem occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the simple configuration that does not hinder the attachment and detachment of the holding frame that the holding frame that stores and holds the humidifying filter falls and displaces by the action of ventilation. It aims at providing the humidifier which can suppress and generate | occur | produce the generation | occurrence | production of the malfunction accompanying this displacement beforehand.

  The humidifier according to the present invention rotates a disc-shaped holding frame that stores and holds a humidifying filter around the center by transmission from a transmission roller that is in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the holding frame, and includes water and rotates together with the holding frame. In a humidifier configured to pass air through the humidifying filter and to send out humid air containing vaporized water to the downstream side of the humidifying filter, the humidifying filter is provided so as to project radially outward from the outer periphery of the holding frame. And a stopper portion facing a part of the transmission roller from the upstream side in the air ventilation direction.

  In the present invention, when the holding frame is pushed in the direction of ventilation due to the airflow resistance applied to the humidifying filter, the hook-shaped stopper portion provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame rolls in contact with the outer periphery. To prevent the occurrence of problems associated with transmission inhibition.

  In the humidifier according to the present invention, the holding frame is supported by the transmission roller and a plurality of support rollers that are in rolling contact with an outer periphery at a position different from the transmission roller.

  In the present invention, the holding frame for storing and holding the humidifying filter is supported by a plurality of rollers that are in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the holding frame. Support shafts provided for rotation support at the center of both sides of the holding frame are no longer necessary, and the central portion of the holding frame where the support shaft is located and its periphery are effectively used as ventilation openings to improve the humidification capacity. Can be planned. This support structure is realized by the tilting portion being suppressed by the stopper portion.

  In the humidifier according to the present invention, the transmission roller is a transmission gear that meshes with a ring gear portion provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame, and the stopper portion is an end on one side in the tooth width direction of the ring gear portion. It is provided integrally with the part and is opposed to the end face of the transmission gear.

  In this invention, the transmission roller is a transmission gear configured as a gear, and meshed with a ring gear portion provided on the outer periphery of the holding frame to realize a sure transmission without slipping, and one side in the tooth width direction of the ring gear portion A stopper portion is integrally provided around the end portion, and the tilting displacement of the holding frame is surely suppressed by contact with the end face of the transmission gear facing the stopper portion.

  In the humidifier according to the present invention, the tilting displacement in the airflow direction generated in the holding frame for storing and holding the humidifying filter is suppressed by the stopper portion provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame coming into contact with the opposing portion of the transmission gear. Therefore, the present invention is excellent in that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems associated with the transmission inhibition to the holding frame with a simple configuration simply by providing a stopper portion, and to realize a stable humidification operation. Has an effect.

1 is an external perspective view of a humidifier according to the present invention. It is side sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the humidifier which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the support structure of a humidification filter unit. It is a partially broken front view which shows the support structure of a humidification filter unit. It is an expanded sectional view by the VV line of FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a humidifier according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the humidifier according to the present invention. 2 shows the front as the right and the back as the left, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view seen from the back side (the right side in FIG. 2). In the following description, the front side is the front and the back side is the rear.

  The humidifier according to the present invention includes a blower fan 2, a humidifying filter unit 3, and a water tray 4 inside a rectangular box-shaped housing 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the housing 1 is divided into a rear suction chamber 12 and a front discharge chamber 13 by a partition wall 11. The suction chamber 12 communicates with the outside through a number of suction ports 15, 15... Opened on the rear panel 14 of the housing 1, and the discharge chamber 13 has a discharge port 16 opened on the top plate of the housing 1. The suction chamber 12 and the discharge chamber 13 are in communication with each other via an opening 11a provided in the lower part of the partition wall 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rear panel 14 is detachable, and a deodorizing filter 17 and a dust collecting filter 18 are stacked on the front side of the rear panel 14. The deodorizing filter 17 is formed by, for example, dispersing and holding activated carbon in a non-woven fabric, and acts to adsorb and remove odorous components in the aeration. The dust collection filter 18 is, for example, a known HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, and functions to collect and remove fine dust contained in the ventilation. The deodorizing filter 17 and the dust collecting filter 18 are each integrated into a rectangular frame body 17a, 18a made of synthetic resin, and fitted into a filter chamber provided on the front side of the rear panel 14.

  The blower fan 2 includes an impeller 20 and a fan motor 21 that drives the impeller 20. The fan motor 21 is fixed to the outside of the discharge chamber 13. The impeller 20 is fixed to the output end of the fan motor 21 protruding into the discharge chamber 13, and is disposed so as to face the opening 11a below the partition wall 11. The impeller 20 of the blower fan 2 is rotated by driving a fan motor 21. When the impeller 20 rotates, as indicated by white arrows in FIG. 1, outside air is introduced into the suction chamber 12 through the suction ports 15, 15. It flows forward in the interior, is sucked into the impeller 20 through the opening 11a at the lower part of the partition wall 11, is turned upward, is led out into the discharge chamber 13, and is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 16 at the end of the discharge chamber 13. Sent out.

  As described above, the suction chamber 12 and the discharge chamber 13 in the housing 1 constitute the above-described air flow path in which the air flow is generated according to the operation of the blower fan 2. The deodorizing filter 17 and the dust collecting filter 18 are located on the upstream side of the air passage as described above, and the outside air introduced into the suction chamber 12 through the suction ports 15, 15... The components are removed and clean air from which dust is removed by passing through the dust collection filter 18 is sent out through the discharge port 16 at the end of the discharge chamber 13. The illustrated humidifier also functions as an air purifier due to the arrangement of the deodorizing filter 17 and the dust collecting filter 18.

  The humidifying filter unit 3 and the water tray 4 are arranged between the dust collection filter 18 and the blower fan 2 so as to humidify the air flowing through the air passage as described above.

  The water tray 4 is placed on the bottom plate of the housing 1 and is disposed inside the suction chamber 12 on the front side of the dust collection filter 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the water tray 4 can be pulled out from one side of the housing 1 together with the humidifying filter unit 3 supported on the water tray 4 as described later. A wide tank receiver 40 is connected to the end of the water tray 4 on the drawer side, and a water supply tank 41 is attached to and detached from the tank receiver 40.

  The water supply tank 41 is a rectangular parallelepiped tank having a water tap 42 at one end, and is mounted on the tank receiver 40 in an inverted posture with the water tap 42 side facing downward. The faucet 42 incorporates a known constant water level valve. When the water supply tank 41 is mounted on the tank receiver 40, this constant water level valve is pushed up by a push-up protrusion 43 (see FIG. 3) standing at the corresponding position of the tank receiver 40 to be in an open state. The stored water is sent to the water tray 4 and acts to store water at a constant water level inside the water tray 4.

  The humidifying filter unit 3 is configured by storing and holding a humidifying filter 31 inside a holding frame 30 having a hollow disk shape. The humidifying filter 31 is a sheet made of a material having a high moisture content and allowing ventilation, such as a nonwoven fabric, and is folded in a bellows shape as shown in FIG. 2 in order to increase the contact area with the flowing ventilation as described later. It is stored in the holding frame 30 in a stacked manner.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a support structure of the humidifying filter unit 3, and FIG. 4 is also a partially broken front view, in which a portion of the water receiving tray 4 is cut away. 3 and 4, only the holding frame 30 of the humidifying filter unit 3 is shown, and the humidifying filter 31 inside the holding frame 30 is not shown.

  The lower part of the humidifying filter unit 3 is inserted into the water tray 4 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the top of the two support rollers 6 and 6 provided inside the water tray 4 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, it is supported by the attitude | position which stands | starts up vertically on the water receiving tray 4. The support rollers 6 and 6 are distributed and arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction on the bottom surface of the water tray 4, and are in rolling contact with the lower outer peripheral surface of the holding frame 30 at each position.

  The humidifying filter unit 3 supported in this way inserts the lower part of the holding frame 30 into the water receiving tray 4 and places it on the supporting rollers 6 and 6, thereby placing the water receiving tray 4 as shown in FIG. 3. The support rollers 6 and 6 can be rotated around the center while maintaining the support posture.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the humidified filter unit 3 supported in this way can be easily removed by pulling it out together with the water tray 4 from one side of the housing 1 and lifting it upward. On the other hand, by placing on the support rollers 6 and 6 in the water tray 4, it can be easily supported in the above-described posture, and in this state, it is pushed into the housing 1 together with the water tray 4. 1 can be set at a predetermined position inside. Such attachment / detachment of the humidifying filter unit 3 is carried out for maintenance and replacement of the humidifying filter 31 and further for cleaning the water tray 4.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the holding frame 30, as shown in FIG. 3, a ring gear portion 32 having an appropriate width in which teeth are formed over the entire circumference in the central portion in the width direction is integrally provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ring gear portion 32 is meshed with a transmission gear 51 of the transmission mechanism 5 disposed above the holding frame 30.

  The transmission mechanism 5 includes a transmission gear 51 and a drive gear 52 attached to one surface of the base 50, and a drive motor 53 attached to the other surface of the base 50, and a plurality of fixing screws 54 penetrating the base 50, 54... Are fixed at appropriate positions on the end wall 11 inside the housing 1. The drive gear 52 is fitted to the output shaft of the drive motor 53, and the rotation of the drive motor 53 is transmitted to the transmission gear 51 via the drive gear 52, and the transmission gear 51 is rotated. .

  Engagement between the transmission gear 51 of the transmission mechanism 5 and the ring gear portion 32 of the holding frame 30 occurs when the humidifying filter unit 3 is set at a predetermined position inside the housing 1. Three points are supported at different positions in the circumferential direction by the two support rollers 6 and 6 inside the tray 4 and the transmission gear 51 of the transmission mechanism 5.

  The humidifying filter unit 3 supported in this way is positioned so as to face the front side of the dust collection filter 18 and the rear side of the blower fan 2 inside the suction chamber 12, as shown in FIG. When driven, the rotation of the drive gear 52 is transmitted to the holding frame 30 via the transmission gear 51 and the ring gear portion 32, and the humidifying filter unit 3 rotates around the center of the holding frame 30 while maintaining the position shown in FIG. .

  The humidifier according to the present invention includes a stopper portion 33 provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame 31 as described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper portion 33 has a height substantially equal to the tooth height on one side in the tooth width direction of the ring gear portion 32 and is integrally formed so as to project outward in the radial direction. It is.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4 for explaining the operation of the stopper portion 33. As shown in the figure, the transmission gear 51 includes a first gear portion 51a and a second gear portion 51b that are arranged on the same axis and spaced apart from each other by an appropriate length. The shaft 55 is externally fitted and is prevented from coming off by a presser plate 56 fixed to the tip of the support shaft 55, and is supported rotatably about the support shaft 55.

  The ring gear portion 32 on the outer periphery of the holding frame 30 is meshed with the first gear portion 51a of the transmission gear 51, and the stopper portion 33 provided around one side of the ring gear portion 32 is an end surface of the first gear portion 51a. Furthermore, it faces from the front side, that is, from the upstream side in the air flow direction described later. An appropriate gap Δ is secured between the opposing surfaces of the first gear portion 51a and the stopper portion 33 as shown in the figure. Accordingly, when the humidifying filter unit 3 is set in the housing 1 as described above, the first gear portion 51a is engaged with the ring gear portion 32 without contacting the stopper portion 33.

  A draining rod 57 is provided around the small diameter portion between the first gear portion 51a and the second gear portion 51b so as to project outward in the radial direction. The draining rod 57 functions to block water adhering to the first gear portion 51a via the ring gear portion 32 on the outer periphery of the holding frame 30 and prevent the water from shifting to the second gear portion 51b.

  The drive gear 52 is meshed with the second gear portion 51 b of the transmission gear 51. Since the tooth surface of the second gear portion 51b is kept clean by the action of the draining rod 57, water is not deposited on the meshing portion of the drive gear 52 and the second gear portion 51b. There is no risk of precipitation, accumulation, and transmission inhibition.

  The humidifier configured as described above is driven to humidify by driving the fan motor 21 and driving the drive motor 53. The drive gear 52 is rotated by the drive of the drive motor 53, and this rotation is transmitted to the second gear portion 51b. The second gear portion 51b rotates together with the first gear portion 51a integrated therewith, The rotation of the first gear portion 51a is transmitted to the holding frame 30 of the humidifying filter unit 3 through the ring gear portion 32 meshing with the first gear portion 51a, and the holding frame 30 rotates.

  As described above, a certain amount of water is stored in the water tray 4 that supports the lower portion of the holding frame 30, and the lower portion of the rotating holding frame 30 is immersed in the stored water in the water tray 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding frame 30 has openings on both sides, and the water stored in the water receiving tray 4 passes through the openings on both sides of the humidifying filter 31 stored and held inside the holding frame 30. It is sucked up and lifted by the rotation of the holding frame 30, and spreads over the entire humidifying filter 31.

  On the other hand, the drive of the fan motor 21 causes an air flow from the rear side to the front side in the suction chamber 12 as described above. This air is introduced into the inside of the holding frame 30 through the opening on the rear surface, passes through the humidifying filter 31 stored and held in the holding frame 30, and comes into contact with the water contained in the humidifying filter 31 and contains vaporized moisture. It becomes humid air and is sent out through the opening on the other side.

  The holding frame 30 of the humidifying filter unit 3 is supported at three points by two support rollers 6 and 6 that are in rolling contact with the lower outer periphery and a transmission gear 51 that is in rolling contact with the upper outer periphery. There is no need to provide it in the center. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, openings can be provided on both the front and rear surfaces of the holding frame 30 on substantially the entire surface excluding the minimum supporting portion for supporting the internal humidifying filter 31. A large amount of air passes through the inside without being obstructed in the front and rear, and the humidifying filter 31 and the ventilation can be satisfactorily contacted to improve the humidifying performance.

  When ventilation as described above occurs, the holding frame 30 is subjected to ventilation resistance when air passes through the humidifying filter 31 housed and held therein. As a result, the holding frame 30 is pushed in the direction of ventilation and falls and displaces with the lower support rollers 6 and 6 as fulcrums. The white arrow marks in FIG. 5 indicate the direction of ventilation inside the holding frame 30 and the direction of falling displacement due to the action of this ventilation.

  As described above, the humidifier of the present invention includes the stopper portion 33 provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame 30, and this stopper portion 33 is provided on the end surface of the transmission gear 51 (first gear portion 51a). , Facing from the upstream side in the direction of ventilation described above. Accordingly, the above-described tilting displacement of the holding frame 30 due to the ventilation action is limited within the range of the initial gap Δ secured between the stopper frame 33 and the transmission gear 51.

  The holding frame 30 is a member having a large-diameter disk shape, and the angle of the tilting displacement that occurs within the range of the initial gap Δ provided for the above-described purpose is slight, and the ring frame portion 32 on the outer periphery of the holding frame 30 is transmitted. Engagement with the gear 51 (first gear portion 51a) is maintained in a good state, and a stable operation state is maintained without causing problems such as an increase in transmission load, generation of transmission noise, and tooth surface wear. Can do.

  The above effect is realized by a simple configuration in which the stopper portion 33 is simply provided on the outer periphery of the holding frame 30, and since the stopper portion 33 does not hinder the above-described attachment / detachment of the humidifying filter unit 3, the humidifier of the present invention Generation of transmission inhibition can be effectively prevented while maintaining good usability.

  In the above embodiment, the stopper portion 33 is provided so as to face the end face of the transmission gear 51 (first gear portion 51a), but the stopper portion 33 faces an appropriate portion of the transmission gear 51. Can be provided.

  The transmission mechanism 5 to the holding frame 30 is not limited to a gear transmission mechanism including the transmission gear 51 and the drive gear 52, and includes a transmission roller and a drive roller, and a friction transmission mechanism that uses friction between these rolling contact portions. However, in this configuration as well, it is needless to say that a similar effect can be obtained by providing a stopper portion facing a part of the transmission roller from the upstream side in the air flow direction on the outer periphery of the holding frame 30. Yes.

6 Support rollers
30 Holding frame
31 Humidification filter
32 Ring gear section
33 Stopper
51 Transmission gear (Transmission roller)

Claims (3)

A disk-shaped holding frame that stores and holds the humidifying filter is rotated around the center by transmission from a transmission roller that is in rolling contact with the outer periphery of the holding frame, and air is passed through the humidifying filter that contains water and rotates together with the holding frame. In a humidifier configured to send out humid air containing vaporized water downstream of the humidifying filter,
A humidifier characterized in that it is provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame so as to project outward in the radial direction, and has a stopper portion facing a part of the transmission roller from the upstream side in the air ventilation direction. .   The humidifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding frame is supported by the transmission roller and a plurality of support rollers that are in rolling contact with an outer periphery at a position different from the transmission roller.   The transmission roller is a transmission gear that meshes with a ring gear portion that is provided around the outer periphery of the holding frame, and the stopper portion is provided integrally with an end portion on one side in the tooth width direction of the ring gear portion, and the transmission The humidifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the humidifier is opposed to an end face of the gear.

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