JP2011125780A - Blower - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a blower capable of suppressing a filter from being deteriorated if the degree of contamination of the air is high. <P>SOLUTION: A sirocco fan 18 blows the air by operating a motor 20. In this case, the air suctioned inside an air cleaner 1 is purified through a highly functional filter 28 and is blown outside. A control section 9 decreases the blown air amount of the sirocco fan 18 by controlling the operation of the motor 20 if each detection result of degree of contamination of the air shown by a dust sensor 30 and an odor sensor 31 is higher than a predetermined degree of contamination of the air. This may eliminate an inconvenience that a large amount of the contaminated air passes through the highly functional filter 28 for a short time. Therefore, the function of the highly functional filter 28 may neither probably decline for a short time nor the highly functional filter 28 may probably cause a secondary offensive odor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a blower that adjusts the amount of blown air according to the degree of air pollution.

  Indoor air is susceptible to contamination with various substances that are unpleasant or harmful to the human body (for example, dust, dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and carbon dioxide emitted with breathing). In particular, in recent years, houses have become highly airtight, and such contaminants such as fine particles and harmful gases tend to stay indoors. Conventionally, natural ventilation is performed by appropriately opening windows, but it may be difficult to take in outdoor air for reasons such as air pollution or hay fever. Under these circumstances, recently, air purifiers having an air purifying function for purifying indoor air have become widespread.

A typical air cleaner includes a blower and an air filter. When the blower blows air, indoor air is sucked into the air cleaner, passes through the air filter, and then sent out from the air cleaner to the indoor.
The air filter purifies the air that has passed through the air filter. Specifically, when air sucked into the air purifier passes through the air filter, particulates contained in the air are collected by the air filter, and harmful gas is adsorbed or decomposed by the air filter. .
In this way, indoor air is taken into the air cleaner and purified, and then returned to the indoor again.

  Some air purifiers include a contamination level sensor that detects the contamination level of air, such as a dust sensor or a gas sensor. When such an air cleaner detects that the air is contaminated, for example, by increasing the rotational speed of the fan motor of the blower, the amount of blown air is increased. At this time, a large amount of air is sucked into the air cleaner in a short time, passes through the air filter, and is sent out indoors. As a result, indoor air can be purified in a short time (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3136659

However, when a large amount of contaminated air passes through the air filter in a short time, there arises a problem that the air purification function of the air filter is reduced in a short time.
In particular, when air contains pollutants with a strong odor such as tobacco or smoke from smoked meat (hereinafter referred to as odorous substances), the odorous substances accumulate in the air filter. Not only decreases, but the air filter also causes secondary odor.

The air filter thus deteriorated needs to be cleaned by the user or replaced with a new air filter. Therefore, when the air filter deteriorates in a short time, the convenience for the user is lost and it is uneconomical.
In particular, when the time until the air filter is deteriorated greatly falls below the filter life described in the product catalog or instruction manual of the air cleaner, there is a possibility that the user may feel dissatisfied.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. The main object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of air blower or reduce it to “0” when the air pollution level is high. It is providing the air blower which can suppress deterioration.

  A blower according to the present invention includes a detection unit that detects a degree of air pollution, a blower for sucking air from outside and sending the sucked air to the outside, and a filter through which the air sucked by the blower passes. And a control unit that adjusts the air flow rate of the blower by controlling the operation of the blower according to the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the control unit has a detection result of the detection unit. When the air pollution degree shown is higher than a predetermined pollution degree, it has a blower restricting means for reducing or reducing the blower amount of the blower to “0”.

  The blower according to the present invention further includes an output unit that performs a predetermined output when the contamination level is higher than the predetermined contamination level.

  In the air blower according to the present invention, the control unit increases the air flow rate when a predetermined time has elapsed after the air flow restricting unit reduces the air flow rate or reduces the air flow rate to “0”. It is characterized by being.

  In the blower according to the present invention, when the air pollution level indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than a predetermined pollution level, the control unit is configured to increase an air flow rate of the blower, and the air blowing unit. It further has switching means for switching between execution of the restriction process by the restriction means and execution of the increase process by the air blowing increase means.

In this invention, an air blower is provided with a detection part, an air blower, a filter, and a control part, and a control part has a ventilation restriction | limiting means. In general, the blower is used indoors or indoors.
The filter has a function of purifying or humidifying air passing through the filter.
When the blower blows air, air is sucked into the blower from the outside of the blower (that is, the room), the sucked air passes through the filter, and is sent from the blower into the room.
The detection unit detects the degree of contamination of inhaled air or indoor air.

When the air pollution level indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than the predetermined pollution level, the control unit controls the operation of the blower to reduce or reduce the blower amount of the blower to “0”.
As a result, when the degree of air pollution is high, the inconvenience that a large amount of contaminated air passes through the filter in a short time is eliminated. Therefore, there is no possibility that the function of the filter will deteriorate in a short time, and there is no possibility that the filter will cause secondary odor.

In this invention, an air blower is further provided with an output part.
The output unit performs a predetermined output when the air contamination level indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than the predetermined contamination level. The predetermined output includes lighting a specific lamp provided in the blower, displaying a predetermined message, or outputting a buzzer sound, a predetermined melody, or a voice of a human voice.

By recognizing such output, the user can easily know that the indoor air pollution level is higher than the predetermined pollution level, that is, it is time to ventilate the room. That is, the output unit plays a role of notifying the user that indoor ventilation is necessary.
When the degree of air pollution is high, it is desirable to replace indoor dirty air with fresh outdoor air. Thereafter, when the blower is used, indoor air can be efficiently purified or humidified while suppressing deterioration of the filter.

In the present invention, when the degree of air pollution indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than the predetermined pollution degree, the control unit reduces or reduces the blower volume of the blower to “0”. When the predetermined time has elapsed, the amount of air blown from the blower is increased by controlling the operation of the blower. In other words, the operation mode of the blower is switched to the normal mode again when a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation mode of the blower has been switched from the normal mode to the restriction mode in which air is refrained.

  If the air is heavily polluted, the user ventilates the room by opening a window or by operating a ventilation fan. In this case, when an appropriate time has elapsed since the start of ventilation, there is a high possibility that the contaminated air in the room is replaced with fresh air. In addition, even if fresh air passes through the filter, it is unlikely that the function of the filter will be reduced in a short time or that odorous substances will accumulate in the filter.

Therefore, the control unit automatically switches the operation mode of the blower from the restriction mode to the normal mode as time elapses. As a result, the blower can efficiently purify or humidify indoor air while suppressing deterioration of the filter.
Moreover, it is not necessary for the user to manually switch the operation mode of the blower. For this reason, a user's convenience can be improved.

In this invention, a control part further has a ventilation increase means and a switching means.
The control unit increases the amount of air blown by the blower by controlling the operation of the blower when the degree of air pollution indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than the predetermined pollution degree. In other words, the operation mode of the blower is switched from the normal mode to the mode of actively blowing air.
As a result, when the degree of air pollution is high, a large amount of contaminated air passes through the filter in a short time. If this filter has an air purification function, indoor air is purified in a short time. However, the filter tends to deteriorate.
In addition, the predetermined contamination degree which concerns on a ventilation restriction | limiting means and the predetermined contamination degree which concerns on a ventilation increase means may be equal or different.

When the user can ventilate the room, it is desirable that the blower is switched to an operation mode in which the blower is refrained to suppress the deterioration of the filter when the degree of air pollution is high. On the other hand, when the user cannot ventilate the room, it is desirable that the air blower is switched to an operation mode in which air is actively sent even if the filter is deteriorated when the degree of air pollution is high.
Therefore, the control unit switches between execution of the restriction process by the air blowing restriction unit and execution of the increase process by the air blowing increasing unit. That is, in the blower of the present invention, two types of operation modes can be switched according to the suitability of indoor ventilation.

In addition, the timing which switches an operation mode should just be the timing when the operation part with which the air blower is provided was operated by the user, for example. In this case, the air blower can be operated in an operation mode that matches the user's circumstances. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.
The blower may be configured to determine an outdoor air pollution level based on an output result of a sensor installed outdoors (for example, outdoors) and to switch the operation mode according to the determination result. Or the structure which switches an operation mode based on the pollen information transmitted via the internet or LAN etc. may be sufficient as an air blower.

In the case of the blower of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience of a large amount of highly contaminated air passing through the filter in a short time. Therefore, even when the air is extremely contaminated, the deterioration of the filter can be suppressed.
As a result, the time during which the filter can be used without being cleaned or replaced can be extended as compared with the conventional case. Therefore, user convenience can be improved. Moreover, it is economical because the filter lasts longer.
Moreover, since it is unlikely that the time until the filter deteriorates will be significantly less than the filter life described in the product catalog or instruction manual of the air purifier, the reliability of the user with respect to the blower can be improved. it can.

It is a front side perspective view of the air cleaner as an air blower concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a back side perspective view of the air cleaner concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a top view of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a horizontal sectional view of an air cleaner concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a partially broken rear view which shows the structure of the back side containing the ventilation path of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the ventilation path of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment part of the ion generator with which the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. It is a perspective view which shows the ion generator with which the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows a mode that air blows off from the blower outlet of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the blower outlet of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the apparatus operation process performed with the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the cleaning suppression process performed with the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the cleaning promotion process performed with the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the subroutine of the contamination degree detection process procedure performed with the air cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.

1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are a front perspective view, a rear perspective view, a plan view, and a longitudinal sectional view of an air purifier 1 as a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIG.
FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway rear view showing the structure on the back side including the air passage 13 of the air cleaner 1, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the air passage 13.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a mounting portion of the ion generator 22 provided in the air cleaner 1, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the ion generator 22.
FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which air blows out from the air outlet 14 of the air purifier 1, and FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the air outlet 14.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the air purifier 1.
White arrows shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, 8, 10, and 11 represent the flow of air.
Below, first, the whole structure of the air cleaner 1 is demonstrated, referring FIGS.
The air cleaner 1 is a stationary electric device and includes a main body casing 2 and a front panel 24 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
The main casing 2 is formed of a box-shaped body having a vertically long front opening, and main components of the air purifier 1 are accommodated in the main casing 2.

Legs 3 are provided at the lower part of the main casing 2. The leg part 3 is for mounting the air cleaner 1 on an indoor floor surface in an upright state.
An upper panel portion 5 is provided on the upper surface of the main casing 2 (see FIG. 3). The upper panel 5 is provided with an operation switch 21 and a mode changeover switch 25, an operation unit having various operation buttons, and a display unit 15 having a liquid crystal display panel and a plurality of lamps each using an LED. (See FIG. 12).
A handle portion 4 is provided on the back surface of the main casing 2 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The handle part 4 is provided in consideration of convenience when the air cleaner 1 is lifted and transported.

  The front panel 24 has left and right side portions 26, 26 erected rearward from its main surface (see FIGS. 1 and 5). The front panel 24 is detachably attached to the main body casing 2 so as to cover a part of the front surface and side surfaces of the main body casing 2. Such a front panel 24 suppresses the noise generated by the sirocco fan 18 and the motor 20 during the operation of the air cleaner 1 from leaking out of the air cleaner 1 (hereinafter referred to as the room). It functions as a sound insulation member for the purpose of ensuring the appearance of the air purifier 1.

A gap is provided between the side surface of the main casing 2 and the side portions 26 and 26 of the front panel 24, and the gap constitutes the suction ports 12 and 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 5). The suction ports 12 and 12 are openings for sucking indoor air into the air cleaner 1.
A dust sensor 30 is provided in the vicinity of the right inlet 12, and an odor sensor 31 is provided in the vicinity of the left inlet 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 12).
An air outlet 14 including a first air outlet 14 </ b> A and a second air outlet 14 </ b> B is provided on the upper portion of the main body casing 2 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The air outlet 14 is an opening through which the air purified by the air cleaner 1 is blown out into the room.

A partition wall 7 is disposed inside the air purifier 1. The partition wall 7 divides a space formed by the main body casing 2 into a front space S1 on the side where the front panel 24 is located and a rear space S2 on the back side. (See FIGS. 4 and 5).
The front space S <b> 1 communicates with the room via the suction ports 12 and 12 on the side of the main casing 2.
Between the partition wall 7 and the front panel 24, a highly functional filter 28 composed of three types of filters (specifically, a deodorizing filter, a formaldehyde adsorption filter, and an antibacterial / dust collecting filter) is disposed. Yes. More specifically, the high-performance filter 28 is disposed in the recess 6 provided on the front surface side of the main casing 2 and divides the front space S1 into two in the front-rear direction.

A sirocco fan 18 is disposed behind the partition wall 7 (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The sirocco fan 18 is rotationally driven by a motor 20 disposed behind the sirocco fan 18. The motor 20 has a configuration capable of changing the rotation speed.
A communication hole 8 is provided in the partition wall 7, and the communication hole 8 faces the suction surface of the sirocco fan 18.
A rear fan cover 10 is attached to the partition wall 7 so as to cover the sirocco fan 18, and the air passage 13 is configured by the rear fan cover 10 and the partition wall 7. The air passage 13 communicates with an air outlet 14 provided in the upper part of the main body casing 2.

An ion generator 22 that generates at least one of positive ions and negative ions is provided at a predetermined position of the partition wall 7 in the air passage 13 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The ions generated by the ion generator 22 are released into the room along with the air flow.
Next, the flow of air in the air cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 and 10.
When the sirocco fan 18 is driven and rotated by the motor 20, a negative pressure is generated in the front space S <b> 1 of the main casing 2. At this time, the indoor air is taken into the front space S1 through the suction ports 12 and 12 located on the side of the main casing 2 (see FIG. 5).

The air taken into the front space S1 passes through the high function filter 28 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). As a result, the air taken into the front space S <b> 1 is subjected to deodorizing treatment, formaldehyde adsorption treatment, dust collection treatment, and antibacterial treatment by the high function filter 28, and further, the communication hole 8 provided in the partition wall 7. Pass through.
The air that has passed through the communication hole 8 blows outward from the peripheral surface of the sirocco fan 18 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The air thus blown out is guided to the blowout port 14 by the blower passage 13 and is sent into the room together with the ions generated by the ion generator 22.

At the air outlet 14, air 41 (hereinafter referred to as “low ion wind”) having a relatively low ion concentration is blown out from the first air outlet 14 </ b> A, depending on the positional relationship with the ion generator 22, and from the second air outlet 14 </ b> B. Air having a relatively high ion concentration (hereinafter referred to as high ion wind) 40 blows out (see FIG. 10).
At this time, the low ion wind 41 blows out from the first outlet 14A in such a manner as to cover the side and the rear of the high ion wind 40 blown out from the second outlet 14B. As a result, the high ion wind 40 sent into the room is prevented from immediately adhering to the wall or furniture. Therefore, the ions released from the air cleaner 1 are easily diffused uniformly in the room.

  In the air cleaner 1 as described above, the sirocco fan 18 and the motor 20 function as a blower in the embodiment of the present invention, and the high function filter 28 functions as a filter in the embodiment of the present invention.

Next, ion emission will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
The rear fan cover 10 constituting the air passage 13 includes an end plate portion 10a, a first side plate portion 10b, a second side plate portion 10c, and a third side plate portion 10d that are erected on the end plate portion 10a. (See FIGS. 6 and 7). Hereinafter, the first side plate portion 10b, the second side plate portion 10c, and the third side plate portion 10d are collectively referred to as side plate portions 10b to 10d.

The end plate portion 10a and the partition wall 7 function as a pair of end surface portions of the air passage 13, and sandwich the side plate portions 10b to 10d from one end side and the other end side in the axial length direction of the rotating shaft 18a, respectively. Are arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation shaft 18a.
The side plate portions 10 b to 10 d function as side portions of the air passage 13, and are arranged substantially parallel to the rotation shaft 18 a of the sirocco fan 18 in a state where the rear side fan cover 10 is attached to the partition wall 7.

The first side plate portion 10 b is formed in an arc shape so as to surround the sirocco fan 18 from the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the sirocco fan 18.
The second side plate portion 10c extends from one end side in the circumferential direction of the first side plate portion 10b toward the air outlet 14 in a substantially tangential direction of the first side plate portion 10b. The second side plate portion 10c has a deflecting portion 11 that is inclined toward the third side plate portion 10d in order to guide air to flow in the tangential direction of the first side plate portion 10b to the third side plate portion 10d side. Is provided.
The third side plate portion 10d is arranged to face the second side plate portion 10c, and away from the second side plate portion 10c from the other end side in the circumferential direction of the first side plate portion 10b toward the outlet port 14. It extends to.

The ion generator 22 is disposed substantially directly below the second outlet 14B and is attached to the partition wall 7 (see FIGS. 8 and 11). More specifically, in the ion generator 22, the surface electrodes 22a and 22b for generating ions are juxtaposed in a direction intersecting with the air flow in the air passage 13, and the surface electrodes 22a and 22b are disposed below. It is fixed by the presser 23 in a posture inclined so as to face.
The presser 23 is also a case that accommodates the ion generator 22. The presser 23 includes an inclined portion 23 c corresponding to the tilt of the ion generator 22 and an opening that exposes the surface electrodes 22 a and 22 b to the air passage 13. 23a and 23b are provided.

  Thus, since the surface electrodes 22a and 22b are juxtaposed in a direction crossing the air flow, the air sent from the sirocco fan 18 does not pass over the plurality of surface electrodes. Therefore, there is no inconvenience that ions generated in one surface electrode located on the upstream side of the air flow interfere with ions generated in other surface electrodes located on the downstream side and attenuate.

Further, since the ion generator 22 is tilted so that the surface electrodes 22a and 22b face downward, the air sent from the sirocco fan 18 does not directly blow against the surface electrodes 22a and 22b, and accordingly The inconvenience that ions generated in the surface electrodes 22a and 22b stay in the vicinity of the surface electrodes 22a and 22b interfere with each other and attenuate is less likely to occur.
As a result, ions generated at the surface electrodes 22a and 22b can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the room.

  Further, since the ion generator 22 is tilted so that the surface electrodes 22a and 22b face downward, even if a liquid such as water or a beverage enters from the air outlet 14, the intruded liquid remains on the surface electrodes 22a and 22b. It is hard to adhere to. Therefore, a voltage drop due to water wetting of the surface electrodes 22a and 22b does not occur, and a high voltage applied to the surface electrodes 22a and 22b is maintained, so that the ion generator 22 can stably generate ions. it can. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the disadvantage that foreign matter (for example, dust) easily adheres to the surface electrodes 22a and 22b due to the wetness of the surface electrodes 22a and 22b.

The air outlet 14 is disposed substantially directly above the sirocco fan 18 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).
The 2nd blower outlet 14B of the blower outlet 14 is arrange | positioned by the side of the partition wall 7 to which the ion generator 22 was attached. In addition, the second outlet 14B is disposed substantially directly above the ion generator 22.

On the other hand, the first air outlet 14 </ b> A is disposed on the side of the end plate portion 10 a of the back side fan cover 10 (that is, the position facing the partition wall 7).
In particular, the first air outlet 14A is formed so as to surround the side and the rear (back side) of the second air outlet 14B (see FIG. 10). Further, the opening length W of the first air outlet 14A (and thus the air outlet 14) in the direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 18a of the sirocco fan 18 is set larger than the diameter D of the sirocco fan 18 (FIG. 7). reference).

The air sent from the sirocco fan 18 toward the outlet 14 by centrifugal force tends to flow along the second side plate 10c extending in the tangential direction from the substantially arc-shaped first side plate 10b. However, since the deflection part 11 is provided in the 2nd side board part 10c, some air sent toward the blower outlet 14 goes to the 3rd side board part 10d side (refer FIG. 6).
As a result, in the first air outlet 14A, the inconvenience that the amount of air blown on the second side plate portion 10c side is larger than the amount of air blown on the third side plate portion 10d side is suppressed. Therefore, air is uniformly blown out over the opening length W of the first outlet 14A (see FIG. 10).

By the way, the air containing the ions generated by the ion generator 22 is mainly led to the second outlet 14B. For this reason, the high ion wind 40 blows off from the 2nd blower outlet 14B, and the low ion wind 41 blows off from the 1st blower outlet 14A.
As a result, the high ion wind 40 and the low ion wind 41 are blown out from the outlet 14 such that the low ion wind 41 substantially uniformly surrounds both sides and the rear side (back side) of the high ion wind 40.
At this time, since the low ion wind 41 functions as an air curtain, the high ion wind 40 is allowed to reach every corner of the room uniformly without blowing directly to an object (for example, a wall) in the room. be able to. Therefore, sterilization and deodorization by ions can be performed efficiently.

In order to adjust the direction of the air blown out from the blower outlet 14, the first blower outlet 14A is provided with a louver 16A, and the second blower outlet 14B is provided with louvers 16B and 16C (see FIG. 11). . The louvers 16A, 16B, and 16C are fixed louvers, respectively.
Furthermore, the louvers 16 </ b> A, 16 </ b> B, and 16 </ b> C also have a function of preventing foreign matter or a human body from entering the air passage 13. That is, the louvers 16A, 16B, and 16C not only adjust the wind direction, but also prevent failures and safety measures of the air cleaner 1.

  The louvers 16B and 16C may be louvers that can change the blowing angle of the high ion wind 40. In this case, since the blowing direction of the high ion wind 40 can be adjusted according to the shape and size of the room where the air purifier 1 is installed, the air can be purified more efficiently.

The ion generator 22 includes a case main body 22c and an ion generating element fitted in the case main body 22c (see FIG. 9).
A drive circuit (not shown), a booster coil, and the like for driving the ion generating element are incorporated in the case body 22c.
The ion generating element uses a laminated body in which a predetermined dielectric is laminated. For example, mesh-like surface electrodes 22a and 22b are arranged in parallel on the surface of the multilayer body. A plate-like back electrode (not shown) is disposed on the back surface of the laminate.

In such an ion generating element, an AC voltage is applied between the front surface electrodes 22a and 22b and the back surface electrode. At this time, oxygen and moisture in the air are ionized by ionization, and positive ions H ⁺ Ions mainly composed of (H ₂ O) _m (m is an arbitrary natural number) and negative ions O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n (n is an arbitrary natural number) are generated.

The generated ions are discharged into the room from the air outlet 14 by the air flow generated by the sirocco fan 18. Released H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n adhere to the surface of floating bacteria and cause a chemical reaction. At this time, hydrogen peroxide H ₂ O ₂ or a hydroxyl radical (.OH) which is an active species is generated. Since H ₂ O ₂ or (.OH) exhibits extremely strong activity, the floating bacteria can be inactivated by surrounding H ₂ O ₂ or (.OH) around the airborne bacteria in the air. This is because airborne bacteria are destroyed by the action of decomposing active species. Accordingly, the floating bacteria floating in the air can be efficiently removed.
Here, (.OH) represents a hydroxyl group OH of the radical.

When both positive ions and negative ions are generated by the ion generator 22, the positive ions and negative ions undergo chemical reaction on the cell surface of the floating bacteria as shown in the following formulas (1) to (3). Waking up produces H ₂ O ₂ or (.OH). However, m 'and n' in Formula (1)-Formula (3) are arbitrary natural numbers.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n
→ (.OH) + (1/2) O ₂ + (m + n) H ₂ O (1)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{n ′}
→ 2 (.OH) + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (2)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{m ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{n ′}
→ H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (3)

The chemical reactions shown in the formulas (1) to (3) also occur on the surface of contaminants in the air. Therefore, the active species H ₂ O ₂ or (.OH) can oxidize or decompose the pollutant. As a result, harmful substances such as formaldehyde and ammonia are converted into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water or nitrogen.
Furthermore, positive ions and negative ions have a function of inactivating viruses such as Coxsackie virus and poliovirus. For this reason, the contamination of the air by mixing of a virus can be suppressed.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed that positive ions and negative ions have a function of decomposing molecules which are odorous substances. Therefore, positive ions and negative ions can also be used for indoor deodorization.

Next, the features of the air cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The control unit 9 and the audio output unit 17 are built in the main body casing 2.
The control unit 9 is a control center of the air cleaner 1, uses a RAM (not shown) as a work area, controls each part of the air cleaner 1 according to a computer program stored in a ROM (not shown), and executes various processes. For example, the control unit 9 adjusts the amount of air blown by the sirocco fan 18 (and thus the amount of air passing through the high function filter 28) by controlling the number of rotations of the motor 20.
The sound output unit 17 is a buzzer device, and generates a buzzer sound by vibrating the diaphragm using an electromagnet.

When the indoor air is extremely polluted, the sound output unit 17 is controlled by the control unit 9 to generate a buzzer sound for a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds).
When the indoor air is extremely polluted, the display unit 15 is controlled by the control unit 9 to blink a predetermined lamp (hereinafter referred to as a ventilation recommendation lamp) for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes). The ventilation recommendation lamp may also be used as another lamp (for example, an operation lamp described later).

That is, the control unit 9 notifies the user that the indoor air is extremely polluted and the indoor ventilation is recommended by generating a buzzer sound and blinking the ventilation recommendation lamp.
Thus, by appealing to both hearing and vision, the possibility that the user recognizes the notification content can be improved.

The audio output unit 17 is not limited to the buzzer device. For example, the audio output unit 17 includes an audio IC and a speaker in which predetermined audio (for example, a melody or a human voice “air is dirty. Please ventilate”) is recorded, and a control unit. 9 may be configured to output sound recorded on the sound IC from a speaker.
In addition, the display unit 15 is not limited to the configuration in which the ventilation recommendation lamp blinks, and a predetermined symbol or character string (for example, “Air is dirty. Please ventilate” message) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel. It may be configured to be displayed.

In particular, when performing notification by outputting a voice or displaying a message, even a user who uses the air cleaner 1 for the first time is in a state where indoor air is extremely contaminated and indoor ventilation is recommended. It can be easily understood.
The audio output unit 17 may be switchable between an output of a buzzer sound that is apt to attract the user's attention due to an annoyance, and an output of a melody that is comfortable to touch and does not unnecessarily surprise the user.
The display unit 15 and the audio output unit 17 as described above function as an output unit in the embodiment of the present invention. The output unit may be configured to perform a predetermined output by communicating with an electrical device other than the air purifier 1 such as calling the user's mobile phone or transmitting an e-mail.

The dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 function as a detection unit in the embodiment of the present invention.
The dust sensor 30 is for detecting the number of fine particles floating in the air. The greater the number of fine particles, the more air is contaminated.
The odor sensor 31 is for detecting the concentration of the odorous substance contained in the air, and the higher the concentration of the odorous substance, the more the air is contaminated.
The detection results of the dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 are output to the control unit 9 in the form of electrical signals.

  The control unit 9 determines whether or not the air pollution level is higher than the predetermined pollution level based on the input detection result. When the degree of air pollution is higher than the predetermined degree of contamination, it can be seen that the indoor air is heavily contaminated. If the air pollution level is less than or equal to the predetermined level, it can be seen that the indoor air is not very polluted.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the indoor air is heavily polluted means that the room is filled with high-concentration smoke and has a strong odor (for example, when a user smokes cigarettes indoors) ). When such air passes through the high function filter 28, the high function filter 28 collects a large amount of fine particles contained in the smoke and deodorizes strong odors, so that the air purification function of the high function filter 28 is short. There is a possibility that the high-performance filter 28 may cause secondary odor. Moreover, as a result of the air purification function of the high-performance filter 28 declining, the heavily contaminated air passes through the air passage 13, resulting in a disadvantage that the inside of the air cleaner 1 is contaminated.

In the so-called automatic operation, the air purifier 1 according to the present embodiment includes a cleanup suppression mode that suppresses air cleanliness and a cleanup acceleration mode that promotes air cleanliness when indoor air is heavily contaminated. Have.
When the indoor air is not very polluted, the sirocco fan 18 has an air flow rate W0 (W0 is W0> 0) regardless of whether the air purifier 1 is set to the clean suppression mode or the cleanup promotion mode. The motor 20 operates at a rotational speed R0 (R0 is a real number where R0> 0) so that air is blown at a rate of (real number). However, the blowing amount W0 (or the rotation speed R0) in the automatic operation is neither the maximum blowing amount nor the minimum blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 (or the maximum rotation number and the minimum rotation number of the motor 20).

On the other hand, when the indoor air is extremely polluted, in the air purifier 1 set to the clean suppression mode, the sirocco fan 18 has an air flow rate W1 per unit time (W1 is a real number of 0 ≦ W1 ≦ W0). The motor 20 operates at a rotational speed R1 (R1 is a real number of 0 ≦ R1 ≦ R0) so as to blow at a rate. However, when the air flow rate W1 is W1 = 0, the rotational speed R1 is R1 = 0. That is, the sirocco fan 18 and the motor 20 are stopped.
In the clean suppression mode, either slightly contaminated air passes through the high performance filter 28, or no heavily contaminated air passes through the high performance filter 28 at all. Therefore, even if the air is extremely contaminated, the high function filter 28 is unlikely to deteriorate. However, the air cleaning efficiency tends to decrease.
In the following, a case where W1 = R1 = 0 is illustrated.

Further, in the air purifier 1 set in the cleaning promotion mode, when the indoor air is extremely polluted, the sirocco fan 18 is blown at a rate of the air flow rate W2 per unit time (W2 is a real number of W2> W0). The motor 20 operates at a rotational speed R2 (R2 is a real number of R2> R0) so as to blow.
In the cleaning promotion mode, a large amount of highly contaminated air passes through the high function filter 28. Therefore, even when the air is heavily contaminated, the air cleaning efficiency is improved. However, the high function filter 28 is easily deteriorated.

The user of the air cleaner 1 operates the operation switch 21 when desiring indoor air purification. The user also operates the operation switch 21 when desiring to end air purification.
The operation switch 21 outputs a predetermined control signal (hereinafter referred to as an operation signal) to the control unit 9 every time it is operated by the user.
When the operation signal is input when the air cleaner 1 is not operated, the control unit 9 starts the operation of the air cleaner 1. At this time, the control unit 9 turns on an operation lamp (not shown) arranged in the vicinity of the operation switch 21 among the lamps provided in the display unit 15.

When the operation signal is input when the air cleaner 1 is in operation, the control unit 9 ends the operation of the air cleaner 1. At this time, the control unit 9 turns off the operation lamp.
That is, the control unit 9 notifies the user that the air cleaner 1 is operating / stopped by turning on / off the operation lamp.

When it is possible to ventilate the room or when priority is given to extending the life of the high function filter 28, the user sets the air cleaner 1 to operate in the clean suppression mode.
On the other hand, when it is difficult to ventilate the room, or when it is desired to prioritize high efficiency of air cleaning, the user sets the air cleaner 1 to operate in the cleaning promotion mode.
Here, it is assumed that the air purifier 1 is set to the cleanup suppression mode by default. The user operates the mode changeover switch 25 when switching between the cleanup suppression mode and the cleanup promotion mode.

The mode changeover switch 25 outputs a predetermined control signal (hereinafter referred to as a changeover signal) to the control unit 9 every time it is operated by the user.
Each time the switching signal is input, the control unit 9 switches between the cleaning suppression mode and the cleaning promotion mode. Further, when the mode is switched from the cleaning suppression mode to the cleaning promotion mode, the control unit 9 selects one of the lamps provided in the display unit 15 in the vicinity of the mode changeover switch 25 (hereinafter referred to as cleaning promotion mode). Light). On the other hand, when the mode is switched from the cleaning promotion mode to the cleaning suppression mode, the control unit 9 turns on another lamp (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning suppression lamp) disposed in the vicinity of the mode switch 25.

That is, the control unit 9 notifies the user of whether the air purifier 1 is set to the cleaning suppression mode or the cleaning promotion mode by lighting different lamps.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of equipment operation processing executed by the air cleaner 1. Here, it is assumed that the air purifier 1 is not operated.
The control unit 9 determines whether or not an operation signal is input from the operation switch 21 (S11). If the operation signal is not input (NO in S11), the process of S11 is repeatedly executed.

When the operation signal is input (YES in S11), the control unit 9 starts the operation of the air cleaner 1 (S12).
In S12, the control unit 9 turns on the operation lamp of the display unit 15, turns on the motor 20, and operates the motor 20 at the rotational speed R0.
Moreover, the control part 9 in S12 sets the air cleaner 1 to default cleaning suppression mode. At this time, the control unit 9 turns on the cleanup suppression lamp of the display unit 15 and starts execution of the cleanup suppression process shown in FIG.

  Next, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a switching signal is input from the mode switch 25 (S13). When the switching signal is input (YES in S13), the control unit 9 performs the cleaning suppression mode and the cleaning promotion mode. (S14).

Specifically, when the air cleaner 1 is set in the cleanup suppression mode (or the cleanup promotion mode) before executing the process of S14, the control unit 9 in S14 sets the air purifier 1 in the cleanup promotion mode (or Switch to the clean suppression mode. At this time, the control unit 9 turns off the cleaning suppression lamp (or the cleaning promotion lamp) of the display unit 15, turns on the cleaning promotion lamp (or the cleaning suppression lamp), and further performs the cleaning suppression process (or FIG. 14) (or The execution of the cleaning promotion process (or the cleaning suppression process) shown in FIG.
That is, the control unit 9 in S14 functions as a switching unit in the embodiment of the present invention together with the mode switch 25.

After the process of S14 is completed or when the switching signal is not input (NO in S13), the control unit 9 determines whether or not the operation signal is input from the operation switch 21 (S15) and is not input. If so (NO in S15), the process proceeds to S13.
When the operation signal is input (YES in S15), the control unit 9 ends the operation of the air cleaner 1 (S16).
If the motor 20 is on at the time of executing the process of S16, the control unit 9 in S16 turns off the motor 20. If the motor 20 is turned off at the time of executing the process of S16, the control unit 9 in S16 keeps the motor 20 off.

Further, the control unit 9 in S16 turns off the various lamps that are turned on or blinking on the display unit 15, and interrupts the cleaning suppression process or the cleaning promotion process being executed.
After the process of S16 ends, the control unit 9 returns the process to S11.
When the operation of the air purifier 1 is finished (that is, at the time when the processing of S16 is performed), if the air purifier 1 is set to the cleaning promotion mode, the next operation starts (that is, the execution of S12). At this point, the controller 9 may be configured to handle the cleaning promotion mode as a default.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the cleaning suppression process executed by the air cleaner 1. The cleanup suppression process is executed when the air cleaner 1 is set to the cleanup suppression mode.
The control unit 9 calls and executes a subroutine (see FIG. 16) for performing a contamination level detection process described later (S31). In S31, when the indoor air is not very polluted, the control unit 9 continues to execute the contamination degree detection process. On the other hand, when the indoor air is extremely contaminated, the control unit 9 ends the execution of the contamination degree detection process, and moves the process to S32.

And the control part 9 alert | reports to a user that the indoor air is heavily polluted and indoor ventilation is the recommended state (S32). The control unit 9 in S32 blinks the ventilation recommendation lamp by controlling the display unit 15, and generates a buzzer sound by controlling the audio output unit 17. The ventilation recommendation lamp continues to blink until the process of S37 described later is executed, but the sound output unit 17 automatically stops the buzzer sound when a predetermined time has elapsed.
The air cleaner 1 may be configured to reduce the amount of air blown in order to prolong the life of the high-performance filter 28 and to notify the user at the same time. In this case, there is no possibility that the user will misunderstand that the air flow rate has decreased due to the failure of the air purifier 1.

After the process of S32 is completed, the control unit 9 decreases the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 from the blowing amount W0 to the blowing amount W1 (S33). For this purpose, the control unit 9 decreases the rotational speed of the motor 20 from the rotational speed R0 to the rotational speed R1. Specifically, the motor 20 is turned off. The control unit 9 in S33 functions as air blowing restriction means in the embodiment of the present invention.
Next, the control unit 9 starts to measure the elapsed time since the amount of blown air is reduced (S34). Thereafter, the control unit 9 continues to count the elapsed time by using a timer (not shown) or counting the number of clocks input to itself until the time is finished in the process of S38 described later.

As a result of the process of S32, the user who is recommended to ventilate the room ventilates the room by opening a window or a door of the room or operating a ventilation fan. For this reason, with the passage of time, the polluted air in the room is gradually replaced with the less polluted air outside (for example, outdoors). When the predetermined time elapses, the air pollution level is lower than the predetermined pollution level.
By the way, during indoor ventilation, highly polluted air does not pass through the high-performance filter 28, so that the high-performance filter 28 does not deteriorate unnecessarily.

After the process of S34 is completed, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (S35), and if it has not yet elapsed (NO in S35), the process of S35 is repeatedly executed.
When the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S35), the control unit 9 restores the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 from the blowing amount W1 to the blowing amount W0 (S36). That is, the control unit 9 in S33 increases the amount of air blown down in S33. For this purpose, the control unit 9 in S36 increases the rotational speed of the motor 20 from the rotational speed R1 to the rotational speed R0. For this purpose, the control unit 9 turns on the motor 20.

After the process of S36 ends, the control unit 9 ends the notification executed in S32 (S37). For this purpose, the control unit 9 in S37 turns off the ventilation recommendation lamp by controlling the display unit 15.
Finally, the control unit 9 finishes counting the elapsed time (S38), and returns the process to S31.
In addition, the air cleaner 1 is not limited to the structure which restore | restores ventilation volume, when predetermined time passes. For example, when the control unit 9 detects the degree of air pollution using the dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 after the processing of S33 ends, and the detected degree of contamination falls below a predetermined degree of contamination. , S36 may be executed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the cleaning promotion process executed by the air cleaner 1. The cleaning promotion process is executed when the air cleaner 1 is set to the cleaning promotion mode.
The control unit 9 calls and executes a subroutine (see FIG. 16) for performing the contamination degree detection process (S51). In S51, when the indoor air is not very polluted, the control unit 9 continues to execute the contamination degree detection process. On the other hand, when the indoor air is extremely contaminated, the control unit 9 ends the execution of the contamination degree detection process, and moves the process to S52.

  And the control part 9 alert | reports to a user that the indoor air is very polluted and indoor ventilation is a recommended state (S52). The control unit 9 in S52 causes the ventilation recommendation lamp to blink by controlling the display unit 15, and generates a buzzer sound by controlling the audio output unit 17. The ventilation recommendation lamp continues to blink until the process of S57 described later is executed, but the audio output unit 17 automatically stops the buzzer sound when a predetermined time has elapsed.

The air purifier 1 may be configured to increase the amount of air blown in order to more efficiently purify indoor air, or to notify the user at the same time.
By the way, as long as the air cleaner 1 is set to the cleaning promotion mode, it is considered that the room is not ventilated. Therefore, it is not necessary to prompt the user to ventilate the room.

After the process of S52 is completed, the control unit 9 increases the air volume of the sirocco fan 18 from the air volume W0 to the air volume W2 (S53). For this purpose, the controller 9 increases the rotational speed of the motor 20 from the rotational speed R0 to the rotational speed R2. The control unit 9 in S53 functions as the air blowing increasing means in the embodiment of the present invention.
Next, the control unit 9 starts to count the elapsed time after increasing the air flow (S54).

  As a result of the process of S53, the air purifier 1 purifies the indoor air more strongly than the case where the indoor air is not very contaminated. This is because highly polluted air passes through the high-performance filter 28 in a large amount in a short time. For this reason, the contaminated air in the room is gradually cleaned with the passage of time. When the predetermined time elapses, the air pollution level is lower than the predetermined pollution level.

After the process of S54 is completed, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (S55), and if it has not yet elapsed (NO in S55), the process of S55 is repeatedly executed.
When the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S55), the control unit 9 restores the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 from the blowing amount W2 to the blowing amount W0 (S56). That is, the control unit 9 in S53 decreases the air flow increased in S53. For this purpose, the control unit 9 in S56 decreases the rotational speed of the motor 20 from the rotational speed R2 to the rotational speed R0.

After the process of S56 ends, the control unit 9 ends the notification executed in S52 (S57). For this purpose, the control unit 9 in S57 turns off the ventilation recommendation lamp by controlling the display unit 15.
Finally, the control unit 9 finishes counting the elapsed time (S58), and returns the process to S51.
In addition, the control part 9 detects the pollution degree of air using the dust sensor 30 and the smell sensor 31 after completion | finish of the process of S53, and when the detected pollution degree falls below the predetermined pollution degree , S56 may be executed.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the contamination degree detection processing procedure executed by the air cleaner 1.
The controller 9 resets the variables i and j to “0” (S71).
Next, the control unit 9 acquires the detection result of the dust sensor 30 (S72), and calculates the dust level LD based on the acquired detection result (S73). The control unit 9 in S73 obtains the dust level LD by comparing the detection result acquired in the process of S72 with the detection result of the dust sensor 30 when the indoor air is not contaminated.

Furthermore, the control part 9 acquires the detection result of the odor sensor 31 (S74), and calculates the odor level LG based on the acquired detection result (S75). The control unit 9 in S75 obtains the odor level LG by comparing the detection result acquired in the process of S74 with the detection result of the odor sensor 31 when the indoor air is not contaminated.
The detection results of the dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 when the indoor air is not contaminated may be set in the air cleaner 1 when the air cleaner 1 is manufactured. Alternatively, the control unit 9 may be configured to use the detection results output from the dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 when the user determines that the indoor air is not contaminated.

After the process of S75 is completed, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the dust level LD calculated in S73 exceeds a predetermined dust reference level LD1 (S76), and if LD> LD1 (YES in S76). The variable i is incremented by “1” (S77).
After the repair in S77 or when LD ≦ LD1 (NO in S76), the control unit 9 increments the variable j by “1” (S78), and then the variable j exceeds a predetermined constant J. It is determined whether or not (S79).
If j ≦ J (NO in S79), the control unit 9 returns the process to S72.
When j> J is satisfied (YES in S79), the control unit 9 determines whether or not the variable i exceeds a predetermined constant I (S80).

If i ≦ I (NO in S80), the control unit 9 returns the process to S71.
However, the constants I and J are given to the control unit 9 in advance.
Thus, the variable j indicates the number of times that the processes of S72 and S73 are executed, that is, the number of times that the detection results of the dust sensor 30 and the odor sensor 31 are sampled. The number of times of sampling in this embodiment is {J + 1} times.
The variable i indicates the number of times that the dust level LD exceeds the dust reference level LD1.

Of the {J + 1} samplings, when the number of times i that the dust level LD exceeds the dust reference level LD1 is I or less, the fine particles detected by the dust sensor 30 are considered to be general dust. That is, when i ≦ I (that is, when NO in S80), the indoor air is not very polluted, so the control unit 9 starts the contamination level detection process again.
On the other hand, if the number of times i that the dust level LD exceeds the dust reference level LD1 exceeds I times out of {J + 1} times of sampling, the fine particles detected by the dust sensor 30 are fine particles contained in smoke. it is conceivable that. In other words, it is considered that the room is full of smoke.

Therefore, when i> I (YES in S80), the control unit 9 determines whether or not the odor level LG calculated in S75 exceeds a predetermined odor reference level LG1 (S81).
If LG> LG1 (YES in S81), the control unit 9 returns the process to the original routine because there is a strong odor in the room (that is, the indoor air is heavily polluted).

If LG ≦ LG1 (NO in S81), the control unit 9 returns the process to S71 because it can be considered that the indoor air is not very polluted. Thereafter, the control unit 9 starts the contamination degree detection process again.
As described above, the air cleaner 1 has a predetermined degree of air pollution when the dust level LD exceeds the dust reference level LD1 more than I times and the odor level LG exceeds the odor reference level LG1. It is considered that the degree of contamination is higher (that is, the indoor air is heavily contaminated).
Note that the processes of S73 and S74 may be executed after YES is determined in S80.

By the way, the structure which is not equipped with the odor sensor 31 may be sufficient as the air cleaner 1. FIG. in this case,
The air purifier 1 regards the state in which the room is filled with smoke regardless of the presence or absence of odor as the state in which the indoor air is heavily polluted. In the contamination degree detection process executed in the air cleaner 1 as described above, the processes of S74, S75, and S81 are not executed, and if it is determined YES in S80, the process always returns to the original routine. .

Here, the reason why the detection result of the dust sensor 30 is sampled {J + 1} times and the dust level LD exceeds the dust reference level LD1 by I times is considered to be filled with smoke. .
Since the amount of fine particles contained in the smoke is large, it is continuously detected by the dust sensor 30. On the other hand, since the amount of general dust is small, it is detected by the dust sensor 30 either once or sporadically. For this reason, if the air pollution level is determined only by one sampling, there is a risk of misidentifying smoke and general dust.
The controller 9 may be configured to compare the average value of the dust level LD (or odor level LG) with the dust reference level LD1 (or odor reference level LG1).

By the way, when the air flow rate W1 is W1 = W0, even if the process of S33 shown in FIG. 14 is executed, the air flow rate of the sirocco fan 18 does not change. In this case, it is not necessary to execute the process of S36.
Even in such a state, the deterioration of the high-performance filter 28 is suppressed as compared with the case where the air blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 is increased as in the cleaning promotion mode.

Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the air cleaner 1 operated automatically was illustrated, the structure which has the clean suppression mode and the cleaning promotion mode may be sufficient also in what is called manual operation.
However, in manual operation, the air volume of the sirocco fan 18 can be manually set by the user operating the operation unit of the air purifier 1. For this reason, in the air purifier 1 in which the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 is set to the minimum blowing amount and is set to the clean suppression mode, the blowing amount W1 is either W1 = 0 or W1 = W0.

On the other hand, in the air purifier 1 in which the air blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 is set to the maximum air blowing amount and the cleaning promotion mode is set, the air blowing amount W2 automatically becomes W2 = W0. In this case, even if the process of S53 shown in FIG. 15 is executed, the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 does not change. In this case, it is not necessary to execute the process of S56.
In such a state, the cleaning of the air is promoted as compared with the case of reducing the blowing amount of the sirocco fan 18 as in the cleaning suppression mode.

  The air purifier 1 as described above has a high cost by deliberately reducing the air purifying ability of the air purifier 1 when the indoor air is extremely polluted, and further encouraging the user to ventilate the room. The life of the functional filter 28 can be extended. Moreover, when the room cannot be ventilated, the air cleaner 1 can purify the air in the room as in the case of a conventional air cleaner.

The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not intended to include the above-described meanings, but is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope of the claims.
For example, the air blower of the present invention is not limited to the case of being configured as a stationary air cleaner as exemplified in the embodiment, and is configured as a wall-mounted type, built-in type, or in-vehicle type air cleaner. Also good.

Or the air blower of this invention may be comprised as an air conditioner, a humidifier, or a dehumidifier. In addition, the filter provided in the blower is not limited to a filter for cleaning air, but a water absorption filter that is partially submerged in order to humidify the air that has passed through itself, or the air that has passed through itself. In order to dehumidify, a dehumidifying filter including a dehumidifying agent may be used.
Moreover, as long as there exists an effect of this invention, the component which is not disclosed by embodiment may be contained in the air cleaner 1. FIG.

1 Air cleaner (blower)
9 Control unit 15 Display unit (output unit)
17 Audio output unit (output unit)
18 Sirocco fan (blower)
20 Motor (blower)
28 Advanced filters (filters)
30 Dust sensor (detection unit)
31 Smell sensor (detector)

Claims (4)

A detector for detecting the degree of air pollution;
A blower for inhaling air from the outside and sending the inhaled air to the outside;
A filter through which air sucked by the blower passes;
In a blower comprising: a control unit that adjusts an air flow rate of the blower by controlling an operation of the blower according to a detection result of the detection unit;
The controller is
A blower device comprising: a blow restricting unit that reduces or reduces the blower volume of the blower when the air pollution level indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than a predetermined pollution level.   The blower according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit configured to perform a predetermined output when the contamination level is higher than the predetermined contamination level.   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the air flow rate is increased by a predetermined time after the air flow rate is reduced or set to "0" by the air flow restricting means. The blower according to 1 or 2. The controller is
When the air pollution level indicated by the detection result of the detection unit is higher than the predetermined pollution level, the air blowing increasing means for increasing the air flow rate of the blower,
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a switching unit that switches between execution of the restriction process by the blower restriction unit and execution of the increase process by the blower increase unit.

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