JP2012013247A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidifier that can reduce scale formed inside the humidifying filter.SOLUTION: The humidifier includes: a humidification-water tank 10 for reserving water; a polymer-porous humidifying filter 30 for evaporating the water supplied from the humidification-water tank 10; and an air blower 50 for feeding air to the polymer-porous humidifying filter 30. The polymer-porous humidifying filter 30 is formed of a hydrophilic porous material.

Description

  The present invention relates to a room temperature evaporation type humidifier.

Conventionally, an ultrasonic method, a heating evaporation method, and a room temperature evaporation method are mainly known as humidifying methods for a humidifier. Each humidification method has advantages and disadvantages.
The ultrasonic method has advantages such as small size, low cost, and large amount of humidification, but the hardly soluble components such as calcium and sodium in the water for humidification, and the microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in the water together with moisture. There are drawbacks that are released into the air and affect the human body, furniture, and home appliances. In addition, it is difficult to balance the humidity distribution in the usage environment, and there is a drawback that condensation due to excessive humidification is likely to occur.
The heating evaporation method has advantages such as hygiene and a large amount of humidification, but it consumes a lot of power and becomes hot because it heats the water. There is a drawback that the heating performance falls by accumulating in the.
The room temperature evaporation method has advantages such as safety and energy saving, but has disadvantages such as a large main body and a small amount of humidification per unit area.

  Conventional humidifiers that use a normal temperature evaporation system include an evaporative humidifying filter or humidifying disk, a water storage tray for supplying water to the evaporative humidifying filter or disk, a tank for supplying humidifying water to the water storage tray, and the like. It is configured. In the humidifier having such a configuration, the humidifying water once enters the water storage tray from the tank, and is supplied from the water storage tray to the evaporative humidifying filter and the humidifying disk (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in humidifiers that use the room temperature evaporation method, humidification filters made of nonwoven fabric, humidification units laminated with nonwoven fabric and fluorine-based humidification film, and organic polymer whose porous polymer base skeleton has water repellency and oil repellency There are some which humidify air using a humidification unit including a humidification film coated with (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 4270168 Japanese Patent No. 3758695

  The humidifier described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which humidifying water once enters a water storage tray and is supplied from the water storage tray to a humidifying filter and a humidifying disk. However, such a humidifier has a problem that dust or the like accumulates in the water storage tray and bacteria, viruses, etc. easily propagate. In addition, there is a problem that scale accumulates in the water storage tray due to concentration of hardly soluble components in water.

  Moreover, in the humidifier of the said patent document 2, it humidifies with the humidification filter which consists of a nonwoven fabric, the humidification unit laminated | stacked with the nonwoven fabric and the fluorine-type humidification film | membrane, the porous humidification member with a through-hole. For this reason, there is a problem in that the humidification filter or the humidifying unit evaporates from the humidifying water, and the scale accumulates inside the humidifying filter or the humidifying unit, thereby deteriorating the humidifying performance. In addition, there is a problem that if the scale is accumulated inside the humidifying filter or the humidifying unit, the cleaning work is troublesome.

  In the humidifier described in Patent Document 2, the water absorption layer of the humidification unit is composed of a nonwoven fabric or the like, and a humidified film is made of porous polytetrafluoroethylene on both surfaces of the water absorption layer. This humidification unit has a problem that the concentration is caused by evaporation of the humidifying water and the nonwoven fabric has a scale, that is, the humidification performance tends to deteriorate. In addition, the polymer porous humidifying filter having a three-layer structure has a problem that it requires complicated processing and is expensive.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and provides a humidifier capable of reducing the scale formed inside the humidifying filter.

  The humidifier according to the present invention includes a tank for storing water, a humidifying filter for evaporating the water supplied from the tank, and a blowing means for supplying air to the humidifying filter. It is formed of a porous material having hydrophilicity.

  In the present invention, the humidifying filter is formed of a porous material having hydrophilicity. For this reason, the scale formed in the humidification filter can be reduced.

It is a schematic block diagram of the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an example of the graph which shows the relationship between the pore diameter (micrometer) and the water absorption speed | rate (cm / h) of the porous material which has hydrophilicity. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the different hole diameter of the polymeric porous humidification filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a shape of the polymeric porous humidification filter which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a shape of the polymeric porous humidification filter which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the supply means of the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a top view of schematic structure of the humidifier which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a humidifier according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the humidifier in the present embodiment includes a humidifying water tank 10 for storing humidifying water, a humidifying water tank base 20 for supporting the humidifying water tank 10, and a polymer porous humidifying filter. 30, a fixing means 40 for fixing the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 to the humidifier main body, and a lower portion of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and supplying air to the polymer porous humidifying filter 30. The air supply means 50, the air intake port 60 of the air supplied to the polymer porous humidification filter 30, and the exhaust port 70 for discharging the humidified air are provided.

The “humidification water tank 10” corresponds to the “tank” in the present invention.
The “polymer porous humidification filter 30” corresponds to the “humidification filter” in the present invention.

  The humidifying water tank 10 has an inlet 10a formed in the upper portion thereof, and stores humidifying water (humidifying water) supplied from the inlet 10a. Further, the humidifying water tank 10 includes a supply means 10b for connecting the part of the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 and the humidifying water tank 10 to distribute the humidifying water at the lower part of the side surface. . This supply means 10b has a mechanism in which water in the tank does not come out unless the polymer porous humidification filter 30 is fitted. Details will be described later. The supply means 10b is preferably provided adjacent to the bottom of the humidification water tank 10 so that as much humidification water as possible in the humidification water tank 10 can be supplied to the polymer porous humidification filter 30.

  The polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed of a porous material having hydrophilicity. The polymer porous humidification filter 30 is molded so as to be connected to the supply means 10 b of the humidification water tank 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the present embodiment, the case where the number of the polymer porous humidification filters 30 is two will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number may be one or three or more. In the case where a plurality of polymer porous humidification filters 30 are provided, the supply means 10 b is provided for each polymer porous humidification filter 30.

  With such a configuration, when the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 and the supply means 10b are connected, the humidifying water in the humidifying water tank 10 is supplied to a part of the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30. . The humidifying water supplied to a part of the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 penetrates into the inside by capillary action and is moved from the surface (water absorption side) to which the humidifying water is supplied to another surface (evaporation surface). The And the water which moved on the evaporation side surface naturally evaporates. The air flowing in from the intake port 60 flows from the lower part to the upper part of the surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 through the air blowing means 50, is humidified, and is discharged from the exhaust port 70.

(Details of polymer porous humidification filter 30)
Next, details of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 will be described.
The polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed of a porous material (porous body) having hydrophilicity. For example, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed of an epoxy resin porous polymer substrate. This porous body has continuous pores having a three-dimensional structure.
Moreover, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 has sufficient strength to maintain its shape without installing a protective frame.
Since the polymer porous humidification filter 30 has hydrophilicity, when a part of its surface is immersed in water, the water easily enters the pores, and the water passes from the bottom to the top of the porous filter, and the inside. Can penetrate to the surface.

  One polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed of a lump of one member. For this reason, the air supplied from the blowing means 50 flows through the outer surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and the humidifying water is easily evaporated on the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30.

  In addition, since the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is formed of a porous material having hydrophilicity, the supplied water moves quickly on the surface of the material, and there is a difference in water absorption speed due to changes in the pore diameter. large. The water absorption rate due to the change in the pore diameter will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the pore diameter (μm) and the water absorption rate (cm / h) of a porous material having hydrophilicity.
As shown in FIG. 2, the water absorption rate of the hydrophilic porous material forming the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 increases rapidly in the region where the pore diameter is 10 μm or less, but the region where the pore diameter is 10 μm or more. No significant change was observed at (100 μm or less).

The air hitting the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 spreads from the lower water absorption side to the upper evaporation side, and the humidity of the air is humidified according to the contact order of the filter surface, so the lower evaporation tends to be higher than the upper part. There is.
For this reason, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 divides the polymer porous humidification filter 30 into a water absorption side region to which humidification water is supplied and an evaporation side region to naturally evaporate the humidification water. The average pore diameter of the porous material in the region on the water absorption side is larger than the average pore diameter of the porous material in the region on the evaporation side. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the pore diameter is different between the water absorption side below the polymer porous humidification filter 30 and the upper evaporation side, and the pore diameter on the water absorption side (lower) is larger than the pore diameter on the evaporation side (upper). It has become. A specific example will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of different pore diameters of the polymer porous humidifying filter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In FIG. 3, 30a schematically shows the uniform pores on the water absorption side, and 30b schematically shows the uniform pores on the evaporation side. As shown in FIG. 3, the pore diameter of the uniform pore 30a on the water absorption side is larger than the pore diameter of the uniform pore 30b on the evaporation side.
For example, if the pore diameter on the water absorption side is 5 to 100 μm and the average pore diameter is 5 μm or more, the water absorption speed can be 30 cm / h or more. This is the rate at which the water absorption rate can be ignored in view of the natural evaporation rate.

  As the capacity of the humidifier, for example, assuming a performance of a large capacity humidifier capacity of 800 ml / h, it is desirable that the porous body has a uniform pore diameter in the range of 10 to 50 μm. Further, it is desirable that the evaporation side pore size has a uniform pore size in the range of 1 to 20 μm and 5 to 10 μm.

  Next, description will be made on the effect of the porous material having a configuration in which the water absorption side is reduced and the evaporation side is increased as described above.

  The water absorption principle of the porous structure is “capillary phenomenon”, and the water suction height h due to the capillary phenomenon is determined by the following equation (1).

Since the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is formed of a single member, the values other than the inner diameter r of the tube in Formula (1) are the same when the rising height of the humidifying water entering different pores is seen. That is, the higher the water rises, the smaller the pore radius.
That is, since the pore diameter of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is small on the lower water absorption side and large on the upper evaporation side, the humidifying water can be sucked up to the upper end.
Further, for example, even when the supply of water from the humidifying water tank 10 is interrupted, water can be continuously absorbed from the lower part of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 to the upper evaporation side, and the water can be evaporated from the surface of the filter. .
For this reason, the stagnation of water inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced, and water evaporation inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced.
Therefore, the amount of scale formed inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the water absorption side and the evaporation side of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 are uniform pores having different pore diameters has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the polymer When the porous humidification filter 30 is divided into a water absorption side region to which humidification water is supplied and a vaporization side region in which the humidification water is naturally evaporated, the average pore diameter of the porous material in the water absorption side region is Any structure that is larger than the average pore diameter of the porous material in this region may be used. For example, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 may be provided with three or more uniform pores having different pore sizes so that the pore diameter near the water absorption side is larger than the pore diameter near the evaporation side. . Further, the pore diameter may be changed steplessly, and the pore diameter may be gradually reduced from the water absorption side to the evaporation side.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the pore diameter of the porous material is different between the water absorption side and the evaporation side of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the polymer porous A configuration using a porous body having a substantially uniform pore diameter for the entire humidifying filter 30 may be used.

Note that, due to evaporation of the humidifying water, hardly soluble components in water such as calcium and sodium are deposited on the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 and become a scale on the surface. When the scale accumulates, the porous pores, that is, the amount of humidification decreases. For this reason, in order to maintain a predetermined humidification amount, it is necessary to remove the scale of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 that has been scaled.
In the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 according to the present embodiment, since the humidifying water evaporates on the surface, the scale is accumulated only on the filter surface. Therefore, the scale can be easily removed by applying physical friction (such as rubbing) or by chemical decomposition by applying a chemical (solvent) such as an acid to the surface.
Further, since the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is a porous body having a three-dimensional structure made of an epoxy resin, even if the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is damaged, the influence on the humidifying performance is small.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is formed of a porous material having hydrophilicity.
For this reason, the water for humidification can be permeated into the inside and the surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30, and the air supplied to the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be humidified.
Further, the humidifying water can be evaporated on the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and the amount of scale formed inside the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 can be reduced.
In addition, since the humidification method is natural evaporation, it is possible to make it difficult for the hardly soluble components such as calcium and sodium contained in the humidifying water and the microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in the water to be taken out of the humidifier.
Further, since the humidification method is natural evaporation, it is not necessary to use a heater or the like, and energy consumption can be reduced.

The polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed of a porous polymer substrate made of epoxy resin.
For this reason, compared with the case where the polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed with a ceramic or inorganic porous material, it is easy to process, inexpensive, and lightweight.

Moreover, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 is formed by the lump of one member.
For this reason, the air supplied from the air blowing means 50 can be circulated on the outer surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and the humidifying water can easily evaporate on the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30. . Therefore, the humidifying water can be evaporated on the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and the amount of scale formed inside the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 can be reduced.
Further, complicated processing is not necessary, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 allows water supplied to a part of the surface to permeate the inside by capillary action, move it to at least a part of the other surface, and naturally evaporate on the surface.
For this reason, the water for humidification can be evaporated on the surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30, and the amount of scale formed inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced.

Further, when the polymer porous humidification filter 30 is divided into a water absorption side region to which water is supplied and an evaporation side region for spontaneously evaporating water, the average pore diameter of the porous material in the water absorption side region is The structure is larger than the average pore diameter of the porous material in the region on the evaporation side.
For this reason, the stagnation of water inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced, and water evaporation inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced.
Therefore, the amount of scale formed inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced.
Further, by setting the average pore diameter of the porous material forming the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, the humidifying water can be distributed in a balanced manner on the effective humidifying surface, and the amount of humidification can be increased.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the present embodiment, the porous material forming the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is an inorganic material such as platinum, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, sulfur-based, calcium-based, chlorine compound, iodine compound, or peroxide. At least one of an antibacterial agent, a natural antibacterial agent such as creosote oil and wasaol, an organic aliphatic compound and an aromatic compound is mixed therein.

By mixing such a substance into the porous material, the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can have antibacterial properties.
For this reason, the virus and microbe contained in the humidification water which permeate | transmits the polymeric porous humidification filter 30 are removable.
In addition, the growth of bacteria and microorganisms contained in the humidifying water inside the polymer porous humidification filter 30 can be reduced, and the odor derived from the bacteria and microorganisms can be reduced.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
4 and 5 are diagrams showing examples of the shape of the polymer porous humidifying filter according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
4 (a) and 5 (a) show perspective views of different shapes of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and FIGS. 4 (b) and 5 (b) show the polymer porous humidifying filter. 30 is a cross-sectional view of another shape.
The polymer porous humidification filter 30 may be formed into the shape of FIG. 4 or FIG.
Since the humidification amount of the humidifier is proportional to the area of the evaporation surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30, by increasing the evaporation surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. The amount of evaporation can be increased.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the supply means of the humidifier according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
6A shows a state where the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is not attached, and FIG. 6B shows a state where the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is attached.
As shown in FIG. 6, the supply means 10 b of the humidifying water tank 10 includes a valve shaft 11, a rubber-like valve seat 12, a valve spring 13, and a sleeve 14.
The humidifying water tank 10 is formed with an opening into which the valve shaft 11 is inserted with a gap.
The valve shaft 11 is inserted into the opening of the humidifying water tank 10, and a disc-shaped receiving portion 11a is integrally formed at one end thereof, and at the other end (that is, the humidifying water tank 10 side) is a valve. The sheet 12 is attached so as to be slightly convex.
The valve spring 13 is interposed between the side surface of the humidifying water tank 10 and the receiving portion 11 a of the valve shaft 11 and biases the opening of the humidifying water tank 10 in a direction in which the opening of the humidifying water tank 10 is blocked by the valve seat 12.
The sleeve 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an end thereof is brought into contact with the polymer porous humidifying filter 30.

With such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 6A, the humidification water tank 10 is kept sealed by the supply means 10b unless the supply means 10b is pushed by the polymer porous humidification filter 30. Water does not leak from the tank 10.
As shown in FIG. 6B, when the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 is fitted in the humidifying water tank 10, the valve shaft 11 is pushed by the side surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30, and the humidifying water tank 10 side is moved. As a result, the valve spring 13 of the supply means 10 b is contracted, the supply means 10 b is opened, and the water in the humidifying water tank 10 is supplied into the sleeve 14. The end of the sleeve 14 is kept in close contact with the side surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30 and kept in a watertight state. Thereby, the water in the humidification water tank 10 is supplied to the surface of the polymer porous humidification filter 30.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a schematic configuration of a humidifier according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7, when a plurality of polymer porous humidification filters 30 are provided, the supply means 10 b is provided for each polymer porous humidification filter 30.

As described above, the present embodiment includes the supply means 10b that connects a part of the surface of the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 and the humidifying water tank 10 to circulate water.
In this way, by directly connecting the humidifying water tank 10 to the polymer porous humidifying filter 30 and eliminating the humidifying water tray, accumulation of dust in the water storage tray, propagation of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, and accumulation of scale can be achieved. Can be eliminated.

  Further, even when a plurality of polymer porous humidifying filters 30 are provided, the humidifying water tank 10 can be directly connected to the polymer porous humidifying filter 30.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Humidification water tank, 10a Inlet, 10b Supply means, 11 Valve shaft, 11a Receiving part, 12 Valve seat, 13 Valve spring, 14 Sleeve, 20 Humidification water tank stand, 30 Polymer porous humidification filter, 30a Water absorption side Uniform pores, 30b Uniform pores on the evaporation side, 40 fixing means, 50 air blowing means, 60 air inlet, 70 air outlet.

Claims (9)

A tank for storing water;
A humidifying filter for evaporating water supplied from the tank;
A blowing means for supplying air to the humidifying filter,
The humidifier, wherein the humidifying filter is formed of a hydrophilic porous material. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying filter is formed of a porous polymer base material of an epoxy resin. The humidifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the humidifying filter is formed by a lump of one member. 2. The humidification filter is characterized in that the water supplied to a part of the surface permeates the inside by capillary action, moves to at least a part of the other surface, and spontaneously evaporates on the surface. The humidifier according to any one of -3. When the humidifying filter is divided into an area on the water absorption side to which the water is supplied and an area on the evaporation side for naturally evaporating the water,
The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an average pore diameter of the porous material in the water absorption side region is larger than an average pore diameter of the porous material in the evaporation side region. The humidifying filter is
The hardly soluble component in water which is bent off on the surface as the water evaporates can be removed by applying physical friction or by chemical decomposition by application of a solvent. The humidifier according to any one of 1 to 5. The porous material forming the humidifying filter is:
Platinum, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, sulfur, calcium, chlorine compounds, iodine compounds, inorganic antibacterials such as peroxides, natural antibacterials such as creosote oil, wasaol, organic aliphatics, aromatics The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the group compounds is mixed. The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising supply means for connecting a part of the surface of the humidifying filter and the tank to circulate the water. A plurality of the humidifying filters;
The humidifier according to claim 8, wherein the supply unit is provided for each of the humidifying filters.

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