JP2012112592A - Air conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning device that minimizes energy waste, and reduces the frequency of parts replacement.SOLUTION: The air conditioning device includes: an air blower 3; foreign object capturers 15, 211 for capturing foreign objects contained in air; and an ion generator 5. The air conditioning device is provided with: an odor level detector 7 for detecting the odor level of the air sucked in; and a controller 9 for controlling the ion generator 5 to reduce the amount of ion when the odor level detected by the odor level detector 7 is at the predetermined level or above.

Description

  In the present invention, the air generated in the ion generating element is added to the air sucked into the air passage through the means (filter or the like) for collecting the odor-causing substance by the air blowing fan, and is discharged from the air outlet. It relates to an adjusting device.

  In recent years, positive ions (plus ions) and / or negative ions (negative ions) having positive (plus) and / or negative (minus) charges can be obtained by applying energy by ionization to oxygen or moisture in the air. Many ion generators have been developed. When such positive ions and negative ions are present in the space at the same time, their chemical activity inactivates suspended particles such as bacteria, viruses and chemical substances floating in the living space. It kills viruses or converts harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde into harmless carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen, etc.

  In the invention described in JP 2007-21099 A, an air cleaner provided with such an ion generator is disclosed. In this air purifier, an ion generator is disposed in the air passage 40 inside the air purifier, and the positive ions and the negative ions are directly supplied to the air sent by the sirocco fan. As described above, such an air cleaner has an effect of killing bacteria and viruses or converting harmful chemical substances into harmless substances. Moreover, since the substance causing the bad odor floating in the room is also decomposed, it has a deodorizing effect inside the living space.

  Moreover, in the air cleaner described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-21099, when deodorizing air, a method of capturing a substance that causes bad odor with a filter, and ions released into the room cause bad odor. Combined with a method of decomposing substances. And this air cleaner is supposed to be able to spread air with high ion concentration to every corner of the room indoors.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-164417 discloses an air purifier equipped with a gas sensor, which increases or decreases the air volume of the blower according to the output from the gas sensor (odor intensity: a predetermined odor component concentration). An air cleaner that performs control is disclosed. According to this air purifier, when the odor intensity of the indoor air is high (the concentration of the odorous component is high), the air volume of the blower is increased, and the air sucked into the air purifier is increased to reduce the odorous component in the room. It is quickly collected by a filter and deodorized quickly.

JP 2007-21099 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-164417

  In the air purifier described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-21099, since ions can be distributed to every corner of the room, the intensity of the odor of air in the room space is constant or within a predetermined range. The effect of deodorizing with a filter and deodorizing with ions is high. However, when the intensity of the odor of the indoor air becomes strong, the deodorizing ability by the filter is sufficiently exerted, but there are too many substances that cause the odor contained in the air in the indoor space, and in the ion concentration during normal operation, Deodorizing process takes time. In addition, when the odor intensity becomes weak, the deodorizing ability by ions is sufficiently exhibited, but it takes time to collect substances that cause odors in the filter. That is, in this air purifier, when the intensity of the odor of the air in the indoor space fluctuates, the deodorizing process takes time and is wasteful.

  Further, in the air purifier described in JP-A-2-164417, the deodorizing time can be shortened by the deodorizing ability of the filter because the air volume of the fan is increased when the odor intensity increases. However, since the fan cannot be driven below a certain air volume, it is controlled whether to continue the operation with an excessive air volume or to stop until the odor intensity reaches a certain level. In the case of operation with an excessive air volume, deodorization is performed but wasteful energy consumption is performed. Further, when controlling the fan to stop, if the odor intensity fluctuates around a threshold value that determines the operation / stop of the fan, the fan repeats the operation / stop, causing noise and load on the apparatus.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an air conditioner that can switch the drive in accordance with the concentration of a substance that causes malodor contained in the air in the installed space, suppress energy waste, and reduce the frequency of parts replacement. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a blower that sucks and blows air, a foreign matter collecting means for collecting foreign matter contained in the air sucked into the blower, and ions in the air blown by the blower. And an odor intensity value detected by the odor intensity detecting means, wherein the odor intensity detecting means detects the odor intensity of the sucked air. And a control means for controlling the ion generation means so as to reduce the amount of ions mixed into the air when the value is higher than a predetermined value.

  According to this configuration, when the indoor odor intensity is high, that is, when the concentration of the odor-causing component is high, deodorization due to inefficient ions is suppressed by suppressing the amount of ions generated from the ion generating means. As a result, when the efficiency of deodorization by ions is low, the ion detecting means is driven while suppressing its ability, so that deterioration of the ion generating means can be suppressed. Thereby, the exchange frequency of the said ion generating means can be lowered | hung.

  In the above configuration, when the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means is lower than a predetermined value, the control means may control the ion generation means to increase the amount of ions mixed into the air. Good.

  In the above configuration, the control means may control the ion generation means so as to return the ion generation amount to the generation amount during normal operation after increasing the ion generation amount and operating for a certain period of time.

  In the above configuration, the ion generating means includes a discharge electrode and a dielectric electrode that generates corona discharge between the discharge electrode, and the control means detects the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detecting means. Is higher than a predetermined value, the ion generating means is arranged so that at least one of the voltage value between the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode during the corona discharge is lowered or the number of discharges is reduced. You may make it control.

  In the above configuration, the voltage applied to the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode is a pulse voltage, and the control means may control the ion generation means so as to reduce a duty value of the pulse voltage. .

  In the above configuration, the voltage applied to the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode may be an alternating voltage, and the control means may control the ion generating means so as to reduce the frequency of the alternating voltage. .

  In the above configuration, the control unit increases a voltage value between the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode during the corona discharge when the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection unit is lower than a predetermined value. Alternatively, the ion generating means may be controlled so as to be at least one of increasing the number of discharges.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The said control means may control the said air blower so that the quantity of the air blown out may be adjusted with the odor intensity | strength detected by the said odor intensity | strength detection means. At this time, when the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means is higher than a predetermined value, the control means may control the blower so as to increase the amount of air blown out.

  According to the present invention, an air conditioner that can switch the drive according to the concentration of a substance that causes bad odor contained in the air of the installed space, suppress energy waste, and reduce the frequency of parts replacement. Can be provided.

It is a figure which shows schematic arrangement | positioning of the deodorizer which is an example of the air conditioner concerning this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the connection of the control part of the deodorizer shown in FIG. It is a front view of an ion generator. It is a front view of an ion detector. It is sectional drawing which showed the duct when the deodorizing machine of FIG. 1 was cut | disconnected by the VV line | wire, an ion generator, and an ion detector. It is a flowchart which shows the operation mode of the deodorizer shown to FIG. 1, FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of the operation mode of the deodorizer shown to FIG. 1, FIG. It is a flowchart of the modification of the operation mode of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic arrangement of a deodorizer which is an example of an air conditioner according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing connections of control units of the deodorizer shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the deodorizer A includes a main body case 1 and a back cover 2 attached to the back side of the main body case 1. The main body case 1 includes a blower 3, a duct 4, an ion generator 5 (ion generating means), an ion detector 6, and an odor sensor 7 (odor intensity detecting means). Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the deodorizer A is connected to the control unit 9 (to which the blower 3, the ion generator 5, the display unit 81, the operation unit 82, the ion detector 5, the odor sensor 7 and the like are connected. Control means).

  The main body case 1 is a hollow box-like member, and includes a concave engaging portion 11 for attaching the back cover 2 to the back side. Moreover, the blower outlet 12 is formed in the upper surface of the main body case 1, and the louver 121 is provided in the blower outlet 12 by two (here 2 pieces). The engaging portion 11 is formed with an insertion port 111 into which the ion generator 5 is inserted at the upper portion, and a suction port 13 for sucking air into the main body case 1 at the lower portion. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction port 13 is formed with a plurality of slit-shaped through holes, but is not limited to this, and sucks air into the body case 1. The thing of the shape which can be widely employ | adopted. Further, the odor sensor 7 is arranged at the lower part of the main body case 1, and the sensor suction for guiding the external air to the odor sensor 7 at the lower part on the back side of the main body case 1 and the portion close to the odor sensor 7 A mouth 14 is formed.

  In addition, in the main body case 1 shown in FIG. 1, although the suction inlet 13 is formed in the back side, it is not limited to this, The air blower 3 sucks the air outside the main body case 1 effectively. It is preferable to be formed at a position where Similarly, the sensor suction port 14 is not limited to the lower part on the back side of the main body case 1, and the odor sensor 7 can be disposed on the inner side in a place where external air can be sucked by the suction operation of the blower 3. It can be a place.

  The back cover 2 includes a suction port 21 with a filter including a filter 211 (foreign matter collecting means) attached to a plurality of through holes. A filter 15 (foreign matter collecting means) is attached between the back cover 2 and the suction port 13. In addition, the filter 211 of the suction port 21 with the filter of the back cover 2 is a rough thing which suppresses passage of comparatively big floating matters, such as dust, and the filter 15 uses activated carbon etc., and fine floating matters, such as bacteria and viruses. It is a fine thing to collect.

  The blower 3 is disposed in the lower part of the main body case 1 in proximity to the suction port 13. By driving the blower 3, the air outside the deodorizer passes through the through hole of the back cover 2 and the suction port 13 and is sucked. The blower 3 is a sirocco fan, and includes a fan casing 31 and a fan 32 that is rotatably inserted in the fan casing 31. The fan 32 is connected to a fan motor 33 (see FIG. 2), and rotates when the fan motor 33 rotates. The fan 32 and the output shaft of the fan motor 33 may be directly coupled or may be connected via a transmission mechanism such as a speed reducer.

  The fan casing 31 of the blower 3 is attached to the main body case 1 so that the fan outlet 311 faces upward. When the fan 32 is driven, air outside the deodorizer A (indoor air) passes through the suction port 13 and the suction port with filter 21 and is sucked into the body case 1. At this time, external air is also sucked from the sensor inlet 14, and the odor intensity of the external air is measured by the odor sensor 7. The odor sensor 7 quantifies conventionally well-known odor intensity, and details thereof are omitted. The air sucked into the main body case 1 is taken into the fan casing 31 and blown out from the fan outlet 311.

  The fan blowout port 311 is connected to the inlet of the duct 4, and the air blown out from the fan blowout port 311 flows through the air passage 40 inside the duct 4 from the lower side to the upper side. Hereinafter, the direction of air flow in the air passage 40 is referred to as the air blowing direction. The outlet of the duct 4 is connected to the air outlet 12 provided in the main body case 1, and the air that has passed through the air blowing path 40 is blown out from the air outlet 12. Next, the duct 4 will be described. The duct 4 is formed in a rectangular tube shape and is formed integrally with the main body case 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the duct 4 is connected to an intermediate part 41 having a small cross-sectional area of the air passage 40, a throttle part 42 that is connected to a lower end of the intermediate part 41, and a cross-sectional area decreases toward the intermediate part 41, and an intermediate part 41 has a diffusing portion 43 that is connected to the upper end of 41 and whose cross-sectional area increases as the distance from the intermediate portion 41 increases. The intermediate part 41, the throttle part 42 and the diffusing part 43 are integrally formed and have a smooth inner surface. In the duct 4, the end of the throttle portion 42 is connected to the fan outlet 311, and the end of the diffusion portion 43 is connected to the outlet 12. In addition, since the throttle portion 42 is connected to the fan outlet 311 of the blower 3, a constant load can be applied to the fan 32, and the fan motor 33 that drives the fan 32 is prevented from being in an overcurrent state. is doing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ion generator 5 is inserted into an insertion port 111 formed in the upper part of the engaging portion 11 of the main body case 1. The ion generator 5 and the ion detector 6 will be described in detail with reference to new drawings. 3 is a front view of the ion generator, FIG. 4 is a front view of the ion detector, and FIG. 5 is a duct, ion generator, and ion detector when the deodorizer of FIG. 1 is cut along the VV line. It is sectional drawing which showed the container.

The ion generator 5 generates positive ions (H ⁺ (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). (Hereinafter, when simply referred to as ions, both positive ions and negative ions are included). When positive ions and negative ions are present at the same time, it has a deodorizing effect that inactivates suspended particles in the living room due to its chemical activity, kills suspended bacteria and viruses, and denatures odor components (such as ammonia). Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the ion generator 5 includes an ion generation unit 51 and a storage case 52 that stores the ion generation unit 51. The housing case 52 has an inverted L-shaped cross section (see FIG. 1) with the upper portion protruding forward, and an ion emitting portion 53 is formed on the front surface of the protruding portion. The housing case 52 is provided with a pin connector 54 and connected to the socket 16 of the main body case 1. The control unit 9 provided in the main body case 1 and the high voltage generation circuit 55 provided in the housing case 52 are electrically connected by the pin connector 54 and the socket 16 (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ion generation unit 51 is accommodated in an upper portion including a portion protruding forward of the accommodation case 52. The ion generation unit 51 includes a support substrate 510, a discharge electrode 511 attached to the support substrate 510, and a dielectric electrode 512 that is also attached to the support substrate 510. The discharge electrode 511 is a needle electrode, and is attached so that the central axis is orthogonal to the support substrate 510. The dielectric electrode 512 is an annular electrode that surrounds the discharge electrode 511 at regular intervals. The discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 form a pair, and the two pairs of the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 are attached to the support substrate 510 side by side with a certain distance therebetween. When the ion generation unit 51 is housed in the housing case 52, the two pairs of discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 are disposed so as to face two through holes 530, which will be described later, of the ion emitter 53. Yes.

  The high voltage generation circuit 55 applies a voltage (hereinafter referred to as electrode voltage) to the two pairs of discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrodes 512 to generate corona discharge between the discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrodes 512. This corona discharge generates positive ions on one side and negative ions on the other side of the two pairs of discharge electrodes 511 and dielectric electrodes 512. Note that the amount of positive ions or negative ions generated from the discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrodes 512 varies depending on the number of discharges and the voltage applied to the discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrodes 512. That is, the greater the number of discharges and the higher the electrode voltage value, the greater the amount of ions generated.

  The high voltage generation circuit 55 is configured to apply a pulse voltage (direct current) to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512, and can change the electrode voltage value and the duty value of the pulse voltage. The number of discharges can be changed by changing the duty value of the pulse voltage. That is, the number of discharges can be increased by increasing the duty value of the pulse voltage. The high voltage generation circuit 55 is a circuit that applies a high voltage to the discharge electrode 511 and a low voltage to the dielectric electrode 512, and adjusts the electrode voltage value and the duty value to the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 511. It is adjusted with. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the adjustment may be made by the voltage applied to the dielectric electrode 512. Furthermore, in the case of a configuration that is adjusted by the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 511, the dielectric electrode 512 may be grounded.

  The high voltage generation circuit 55 is a circuit that applies a pulse voltage as an electrode voltage, but may be configured to apply an alternating current. When alternating current is applied, the number of discharges can be adjusted by changing the frequency instead of the duty value. That is, the number of discharges can be increased by increasing the frequency of the AC voltage.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ion emission part 53 is provided with two through holes 530 on the left and right sides for emitting ions generated by the ion generator 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the two pairs of discharge electrodes 511 and the dielectric electrodes 512 are arranged so as to face the two through holes 530, respectively. The positive ions and the negative ions generated from 512 are discharged to the outside of the ion generator 5 through the through holes 530 facing each other. And the arch-shaped guard rib 513 which straddles each through-hole 530 is provided in the front surface of the ion emission part 53, respectively. Since the guard rib 513 is provided across the through hole 530, the user is prevented from directly touching the discharge electrode 511 inside the through hole 530 when the ion generator 5 is detached from the main body case 1. (See FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the ion generator 5 is attached to the main body case 1, the guard rib 513 is disposed in the housing case 52 so as to protrude into the air passage 40 and be parallel to the air blowing direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the left and right guard ribs 513 have different positions with respect to the corresponding through holes 530. That is, they are arranged at different distances with respect to the center of the left and right of the ion emission part 53. This is to prevent the ion balance between the positive ions and the negative ions from being lost due to the deviation of the flow rate of the air blown from the blower 3.

  Explaining this in detail, since the blower 3 has a different suction direction and blowout direction, the flow rate of the air blown out from the fan outlet 311 is biased. When ions are released into an air flow with a biased flow rate in this way, the ion balance between positive ions and negative ions tends to be lost on the left and right. Therefore, the guard rib 513 on the side where the flow rate increases is arranged closer to the center and the guard rib 513 on the side where the flow rate decreases is arranged closer to the outside (see FIGS. 3 and 5). As a result, on the side where the flow rate increases, the guard rib 513 blocks part of the air passing in front of the through hole 530 to reduce the uneven flow rate of the air, and to the left and right (plus, minus ) Suppresses ion balance.

  Next, attachment / detachment of the ion generator 5 with respect to the main body case 1 will be described. First, the case where the ion generator 5 is attached to the main body case 1 will be described, and then the case where it is removed will be described. The ion generator 5 is attached by being inserted into the insertion port 111 formed in the engaging portion 11 with the back cover 2 removed. The ion generator 5 includes an engaging claw 521 provided on the outer surface of the housing case 52 and a pin connector 54 disposed on the front surface of the lower portion of the housing case 52. When the ion generator 5 is inserted into the insertion port 111, the engagement claw 521 formed in the housing case 52 is hooked on an elastic engagement portion (not shown) formed in the main body case 1, so that the main body Mounted on case 1. By attaching the ion generator 5 to the main body case 1, the ion emission part 53 is inserted into the generation hole 411 formed in the duct 4 from the generation hole 411, and the ion emission part 53 is exposed in the air blowing path 40. A detection hole 412 is formed at a position facing the generation hole 411 of the duct 4, and the ion detector 6 is fixed to the detection hole 412.

  In order to remove the ion generator 5, the back cover 2 is removed, and the ion generator 5 is strongly pulled toward the back side of the main body case 1, whereby the elastic engagement portion is deformed and engaged with the engagement claw 521. The ion generator 5 is pulled out to the back side of the main body case 1. Thus, the ion generator 5 is detachable from the deodorizer A. The storage case 52 can be opened and closed, and the ion generation unit 51 can be taken out from the storage case 52. Thus, the ion generator 5 can handle the ion generation unit 51 as a cartridge. For example, when the ion generator 5 reaches the end of its life, the old ion generation unit 51 and the new ion generation unit 51 may be replaced, and maintenance is easy. Further, the taken out old ion generating unit is regenerated after being disassembled.

  The ion generator 5 is provided with a storage unit 56. The storage unit 56 includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM. The storage unit 56 stores information about the ion generator 5, such as identification information, manufacturing date information, the number of times of recycling, and the like. The control unit 9 reads out these pieces of information from the storage unit 56 of the ion generator 5. The identification number information of the ion generator 5 that can be used in advance is stored in the memory 91, and the control unit 9 collates the identification information in the memory 91 with the identification information read from the ion generator 5. If the identification information matches, the operation is allowed as an ion generator 5 that can be used in the deodorizer A. If the identification information does not match, the operation is prohibited because the ion generator 5 is not usable. In this way, managing the identification information of the ion generator 5 can prevent the erroneous ion generator 5 from being attached and driven, and also has an effect of eliminating poor counterfeits. In addition, the control unit 9 reads out the manufacturing date information and the information on the number of times of recycling, and if these are applied to a predetermined condition, the user has exceeded the allowable number of times of recycling that has expired. The display unit 81 may be displayed to warn that it is present. In addition to the non-volatile memory, an IC tag that can exchange information without contact may be used as the storage unit 56.

  Next, the ion detector 6 attached to the detection hole 412 of the duct 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ion detector 6 includes a circuit board 61, an ion collection electrode 62 attached to the circuit board 61, and an ion detection circuit 63 attached to the circuit board 61. Yes. The ion collection electrode 62 is an ion collector that is formed of a copper tape and collects ions generated from the ion generator 5. The ion detection circuit 63 is mounted on the surface of the circuit board 61 opposite to the ion collection electrode 62 and is electrically connected to the ion collection electrode 62 in the circuit board 61. The ion detection circuit 63 is connected to the control unit 9 and sends a signal corresponding to the ions collected by the ion collection electrode 62 to the control unit 9. The ion detection circuit 63 is a known circuit composed of a rectifying diode, a P-MOS type FET, and the like, and details of the circuit are omitted.

  The ion detector 6 detects either positive ions or negative ions. When the ion collection electrode 62 collects either positive ions or negative ions generated by the ion generator 5, the potential increases. At this time, the potential of the ion collection electrode 62 changes according to the amount of collected ions. That is, when the amount of collected ions is large, the potential of the ion collection electrode 62 is high, and when the amount of collected ions is small, the potential of the ion collection electrode 62 is low. The ion detection circuit 63 outputs an output voltage corresponding to the potential generated at the ion collection electrode 62 to the control unit 9.

  The ion collection electrode 62 is disposed so as to face one through-hole 530 (discharge electrode 511) from which ions of polarity (plus or minus) to be detected are emitted. The ion collection electrode 62 is not disposed at a position facing the other through-hole 530 (discharge electrode 511). Thus, by arranging the ion collection electrode 62, the ion collection electrode 62 can collect ions having the polarity of the target to be detected in a concentrated manner.

  From the ion generator 5, positive ions and negative ions are generated in the same amount (substantially the same amount). In the ion detector 6, there is a possibility of collecting not only ions having the polarity to be detected by the ion collecting electrode 62 but also ions having the opposite polarity. In order to prevent ions having opposite polarities from being collected by the ion collecting electrode 62, the ion detector 6 is provided with a protector 64. The protector 64 is a metal plate and is provided side by side with the ion collection electrode 62 of the circuit board 61. The protector 64 is disposed so as to face the through-hole 530 (discharge electrode 511) that emits ions having a polarity opposite to that of the polarity to be detected. Ions having a polarity to be detected are collected by the ion collection electrode 62, and ions having the opposite polarity are collected by the protector 64. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the ions having the opposite polarity to the target to be detected from being collected by the ion collection electrode 62. Further, the ion collection electrode 62 and the protector 64 are electrically insulated, and the ion of the ion collection electrode 62 is changed even when the potential of the protector 64 changes because the protector 64 collects ions. It does not affect the change in potential due to the collection.

  The ion detector 6 is fitted into the detection hole 412 of the duct 4 so as to face the ion emission portion 53 of the ion generator 5 and expose the ion collection electrode 62 to the air passage 40. The ion generator 5 and the ion detector 6 are opposed to each other with a predetermined fixed interval. Ions generated by corona discharge between the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 spread toward the ion detector 6, and high-concentration ions are distributed in a dome shape around the tip of the discharge electrode 511. If the wall of the duct 4 or the ion detector 6 facing the tip of the discharge electrode 511 is too close, a discharge may occur between the discharge electrode 511 and the discharge becomes unstable. Therefore, the distance from the front surface of the ion generator 5 to the ion detector 6 is not less than the distance (for example, 10 mm) at which the wall of the duct 4 and the ion detector 6 do not inhibit the generation of ions.

  Note that the width in the front-rear direction at the narrowest portion of the intermediate portion 41 of the duct 4 is determined based on a distance that does not hinder the generation of ions. On the other hand, the upper limit value of the width is determined by the size of the device on which the ion generator 5 is mounted. Thereby, the ion generator 5 can generate | occur | produce ion stably. In addition, since the ion with the highest concentration immediately after the generation exists between the ion emission part 53 of the ion generator 5 and the ion detector 6, the ion detector 6 accurately detects the generation of ions. be able to.

  Next, after describing the electrical connection of the control unit of the deodorizer A with reference to the drawings, the operation of the deodorizer A will be described. The control unit 9 mainly controls the blower 3 and the ion generator 5 and includes an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU inside. As shown in FIG. 2, an ion detector 6, an odor sensor 7, an operation unit 82, and the like are connected to the input side to which a signal from the control unit 9 is input. The blower 3, the ion generator 5, the display unit 81, and the like are connected to an output side that outputs a signal from the control unit 9. A memory 91 in which information is recorded or information is recorded in advance and a time measuring unit 92 for measuring time are also connected to the control unit 9. Note that the memory 91 and the timing unit 92 may be included in the control unit 9.

  The ion detector 6 has an ion detection circuit 63 connected to the control unit 9, detects ions collected by the ion collection electrode 62, and sends the information to the control unit 9. The control unit 9 detects the amount of ions generated from the ion generator 5 based on the information of the detected ions, and ions within a specified value defined in each ion generation mode described later are generated. Judge whether or not. When the specified value has not been reached, the control unit 9 controls the ion generator 5 so as to increase the amount of generated ions, and when the specified value is exceeded, the control unit 9 decreases the amount of ions. To do.

  The odor sensor 7 quantifies the intensity of the odor of air sucked from the sensor inlet 14, and transmits the quantified odor intensity to the control unit 9. The control unit 9 controls the deodorizer A (mainly the ion generator 5) based on the odor intensity from the odor sensor 7. Details of the control of the deodorizer A will be described later.

  The operation unit 82 is provided on the outer upper portion of the main body case 1. The operation unit 82 is a user interface that accepts user operations such as power-on, timer setting, and manual operation of deodorization strength. Usually, the operation unit 82 is often arranged in the vicinity of the display unit 81 for displaying the operating state of the deodorizer A, the current time, the indoor state, and the like. In recent years, there is also a touch panel type operation display unit in which the operation unit 82 and the display unit 81 are integrated. In this case, the display of the display unit 81 is switched or an image of the operation unit 82 is displayed on a part of the display unit 81. The user can input an operation by touching the touch panel on the surface of the operation display unit.

  Based on the input from the operation unit 82, the control unit 9 controls the output side devices (the blower 3 and the ion generator 5) in order to achieve the indoor environment desired by the user.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 9 is connected to the fan motor 33 of the blower 3. The controller 9 adjusts the flow rate of the air blown from the blower 3 by controlling the rotation speed of the fan motor 33.

  In the ion generator 5 shown in FIG. 2, for convenience, only one pair of the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 is displayed, but actually, the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 are provided in two pairs. Note that a high voltage generation circuit 55 may be provided for each pair of the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512, and two pairs of the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 may be attached to one high voltage generation circuit 55. .

  In the ion generator 5, the high voltage generation circuit 55 is a circuit that applies a DC pulse voltage to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 9. The high voltage generation circuit 55 is a circuit that can change the duty value of the pulse voltage. The higher the duty value, the greater the number of corona discharges between the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512, and the generation of ions. The amount increases. The high voltage generation circuit 55 can also adjust the electrode voltage applied to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512. Increasing the electrode voltage increases the amount of ions generated by discharge.

  Next, an air conditioner (deodorizer) using an ion generator, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described. When the air passes through the filters 15 and 211, the deodorizer A collects odor-causing substances such as floating bacteria and suspended substances, and is sucked from the suction port 13 (blows out from the outlet 12). Deodorizing. At the same time, the deodorizer A puts positive ions and negative ions generated from the ion generator 5 on the air flow of the blower 3 and blows them out from the air outlet 12 to decompose and remove odor-causing substances contained in the indoor air. ing.

  In the deodorizer A having such a method of collecting the odor-causing substance with a filter or the like and a method of decomposing the odor-causing substance by ions, when the indoor odor intensity is high (odor-causing substance) It is known that even if as many ions as possible are generated by the ion generator 5, there are too many odor-causing substances, the amount of ions generated cannot catch up, and the deodorization efficiency is poor. On the other hand, since the amount of odor-causing substances is contained in the air passing through the filter, the deodorization method that collects odor-causing substances with a filter is more efficient than when the indoor odor intensity is low. Good.

  Further, when the indoor odor intensity is low, the amount of odor-causing substances contained in the air passing through the filter is small, so the deodorization method for collecting the odor-causing substances with a filter is inefficient. On the other hand, the ions ride on the air ejected from the air outlet 12 of the deodorizer A and go into the indoor space or decompose the floating odor-causing substance, which is efficient. In addition, the above-mentioned odor intensity | strength is high or low is comparing with the odor intensity | strength in the indoor space of a predetermined state (standard state).

  In order to correspond to each of the above states, the control unit 9 determines that the strong ion mode in which both the electrode voltage and the duty value are maximized, the electrode voltage and the duty value are both predetermined values (values during operation in the standard state), and The high voltage generation circuit 55 is controlled in the standard ion mode and the weak ion mode in which both the electrode voltage and the duty value are minimized. The electrode voltage and duty value of each ion generation mode are provided in the memory 91 in advance. In addition, although ion generation mode is divided into three steps, it is not limited to this, It is good also as two steps or four steps or more. When a plurality of ion generation modes are provided, the control unit 9 calculates the electrode voltage and the duty value based on the previous operation record and / or the total operation record, and stores the values in the memory 91 for calling. It may be. Further, the standard state may be fixed, or may be determined based on the immediately preceding operation state and / or the immediately preceding operation state by the control unit 9. Further, it may be determined based on an operation from the operation unit 81.

  The operation of the deodorizing machine A that efficiently deodorizes by switching between deodorizing by decomposing the odor causing substance with ions and deodorizing by collecting the odor causing substance with a filter will be described with reference to the drawings. . FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation mode of the deodorizer shown in FIGS. Here, the operation mode of the deodorizer A will be described. The deodorizer A can change the deodorization intensity, and includes a manual mode in which the user himself sets the deodorization intensity and an auto mode in which the deodorizer A determines the setting of the deodorization intensity. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 shows the operation of the deodorizer during auto mode operation.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the power of the deodorizer A is turned on and the auto mode operation is started, the control unit 9 rotates the fan motor 33 and takes in external air outside the deodorizer A. At this time, the control unit 9 activates the odor sensor 7, detects the odor of the external air with the odor sensor 7, and receives the odor intensity from the odor sensor 7 as the odor intensity M1 (step S11).

  The control unit 9 that has received the odor intensity M1 compares it with the first reference value α of the predetermined odor intensity (step S12). When the odor intensity M1 is higher than the first reference value α (YES in step S12), the control unit 9 determines that the indoor odor intensity is strong, and the deodorizer A is deodorized by the filters 15 and 211 by ions. More strongly than deodorization, that is, the ion generator 5 is operated in the weak ion mode (step S13).

  When the ion generator 5 is driven in the weak ion mode, the control unit 9 calls the minimum value of the voltage value and the duty value from the memory 91 and outputs the pulse voltage output from the high voltage generation circuit 55 of the ion generator 5. Sends instructions for minimum voltage value and minimum duty value. The high voltage generation circuit 55 applies a pulse voltage having a minimum voltage value and a minimum duty value to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 based on an instruction from the control unit 9.

  As a result, the amount of ions generated by the ion generator 5 is minimal, but the air passing through the filters 15 and 211 contains many odor-causing substances, and the odor-causing substances are filtered out. Since it is collected, the indoor air is effectively deodorized. Since the voltage value applied to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 is low and the number of discharges is reduced, the burden on the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 is small.

  When the odor intensity M1 is lower than the first reference value α (NO in step S12), the control unit 9 compares the odor intensity M1 with the second reference value β (step S14). When the odor intensity M1 is lower than the second reference value β (YES in step S14), the control unit 9 determines that the indoor odor intensity is weak and strengthens deodorization by ions, that is, the ion generator 5 is turned on. The operation is performed in the strong ion mode (step S15).

  When driving the ion generator 5 in the strong ion mode, the control unit 9 calls the maximum value of the voltage value and the duty value from the memory 91, and outputs the pulse voltage output from the high voltage generation circuit 55 of the ion generator 5. Send instructions for maximum voltage and maximum duty. The high voltage generation circuit 55 applies a pulse voltage having a maximum voltage value and a maximum duty value to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 based on an instruction from the control unit 9.

  Thereby, the amount generated by the ion generator 5 is maximized, and many ions can be spread widely in the room by being put on the air blown from the outlet 12 of the deodorizer A. As a result, the odor-causing substance can be decomposed and removed by the ions spreading in the room, so that the indoor odor-causing substance can be efficiently removed.

  If the odor intensity M1 is close to the second reference value β (NO in step S14), the control unit 9 determines that the odor intensity is medium intensity, The generator 5 is operated in the standard ion mode (step S16).

  When the ion generator 5 is driven in the standard ion mode, the control unit 9 calls the predetermined standard values of the voltage value and the duty value from the memory 91 and outputs them from the high voltage generation circuit 55 of the ion generator 5. Sends an instruction to set the pulse voltage to the standard voltage value and standard duty value. The high voltage generation circuit 55 applies a pulse voltage having a standard voltage value and a standard duty value to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 based on an instruction from the control unit 9.

  Thereby, the ion generated in the ion generator 5 becomes a standard amount, and the deodorization by the ions and the deodorization by the filters 15 and 211 are performed in a well-balanced manner, so that the causative substance of the indoor odor can be efficiently removed. . In the deodorizer A, the first reference value α and the second reference value β are set so that the ion generator 5 is operated in the standard ion mode when the indoor mode is operated in the auto mode.

  Regardless of whether the ion generator 5 is operated in any of the ion generation modes of the weak ion mode (step S13), the strong ion mode (step S15), and the standard ion mode (step S16), the control unit 9 operates in the auto mode. It is determined whether or not to continue driving (step S17). When the control unit 9 confirms the continuation of the operation in the auto mode (YES in step S17), the control unit 9 returns to the original state before step S11, that is, the odor intensity M1 from the odor sensor 7.

  When the control unit 9 cannot confirm the continuation of the operation in the auto mode (for example, when NO in step S17), such as when the user gives a stop command, the auto mode is terminated.

  As described above, in the deodorizer A according to the present invention, an efficient deodorizing method is dominant among deodorizing that decomposes odor-causing substances with ions and deodorizing that collects odor-causing substances with the filters 15 and 211. Therefore, the indoor odor intensity can be adjusted effectively while suppressing energy consumption. Further, by controlling the number of discharges and the electrode voltage of the ion generator 5 in accordance with the odor intensity, the deterioration of the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 is always made as compared with the case where the ion generator 5 is operated in the strong ion mode. Few.

  Another example of the deodorizer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation mode of the deodorizer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The operation mode shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the operation mode shown in FIG. 6 except that the operation is different when the indoor odor intensity is low. Therefore, the case where the odor intensity different from the operation mode shown in FIG. 6 is low will be described in detail.

  In the air conditioner according to the present invention, the control unit 9 rotates the fan motor 33 to take in external air outside the deodorizer A. At this time, the control unit 9 activates the odor sensor 7, detects the odor of the external air with the odor sensor 7, and receives the odor intensity from the odor sensor 7 as the odor intensity M1 (step S11).

  The control unit 9 that has received the odor intensity M1 compares it with the first reference value α of the predetermined odor intensity (step S12). When the odor intensity M1 is higher than the first reference value α (YES in step S12), the control unit 9 determines that the indoor odor intensity is strong and operates the ion generator 5 in the weak ion mode (step). S13). The weak ion mode is the same as the weak ion mode of the operation mode of FIG.

  When the odor intensity M1 is lower than the first reference value α (NO in step S12), the control unit 9 compares the odor intensity M1 with the second reference value β (step S14). When the odor intensity M1 is lower than the second reference value β (YES in step S14), the control unit 9 determines that the indoor odor intensity is weak. At this time, the control unit 9 receives the time data from the time measuring unit 92 and starts measuring the operation time T (step S151). The operation time T is measured by the control unit 9 by receiving time data at the start of operation from the time measuring unit 92, and then receiving the time data at regular time intervals and taking a difference from the first time data. be able to. Alternatively, the time T may be measured by driving a timer circuit provided in the control unit 9 or the time measuring unit 92.

  After starting the measurement of the operation time T in step S151, the control unit 9 operates the ion generator 5 in the strong ion mode (step S15). The strong ion mode is the same as the strong ion mode of the operation mode of FIG. When the ion generator 5 is operated in the strong ion mode, the voltage value and the duty value of the electrode voltage applied to the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 are the maximum values of the device, respectively, and the discharge electrode 511 and / or dielectric The deterioration of the electrode 512 is accelerated. Therefore, the continuous operation in the strong ion mode is limited. The controller 9 confirms whether or not the operating time T has exceeded a predetermined time limit T0 (step S152). When the operation time T does not exceed the time limit T0 (YES in step S152), the control unit 9 causes the ion generator 5 to continue operation in the strong ion mode.

  When the operation time T has reached or exceeded the time limit T0 (NO in step S152), the control unit 9 switches the ion generator 5 to the operation in the standard ion mode (step S16). The standard ion mode is the same as the standard ion mode of the operation mode of FIG.

  When the odor intensity M1 is higher than the second reference value β (NO in step S14), the control unit 9 determines that the odor intensity is medium intensity, and makes deodorization by ions moderate. The ion generator 5 is operated in the standard ion mode (step S16). Similarly to the other ion modes, the standard ion mode is the same as the standard ion mode of the operation mode shown in FIG.

  Regardless of whether the ion generator 5 is operated in any of the ion generation modes of the weak ion mode (step S13), the strong ion mode (step S15), and the standard ion mode (step S16), the control unit 9 operates in the auto mode. It is determined whether or not to continue driving (step S17). When the control unit 9 confirms the continuation of operation in the auto mode (YES in step S17), the control unit 9 returns to the base before step S11, that is, the odor intensity M1 from the odor sensor 7.

  When the control unit 9 cannot confirm the continuation of the operation in the auto mode (for example, when NO in step S17), such as when the user gives a stop command, the auto mode is terminated.

  In the operation mode described above, since the ion generator 5 is operated in the strong ion mode for a certain period of time regardless of the odor intensity in the room, ions can be distributed in the room in a short time.

  FIG. 8 shows a modification of the operation mode of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, after operating for a certain period of time in the strong ion mode, the control unit 9 measures the operating time t again (step S153) and operates the ion generator 5 in the standard ion mode (step S154). When the operation time t is shorter than the predetermined time limit t0 (YES in step S154), the control unit 9 continues the operation in the standard ion mode. When the operation time t reaches a predetermined time limit t0 or exceeds the time limit t0, the control unit 9 proceeds to determination whether to continue the operation in the auto mode (step S17).

  As described above, by operating in the standard ion mode for a certain period of time after operating in the strong ion mode, the ion generator 5 is driven in the strong ion mode (the discharge electrode 511 and the dielectric electrode 512 have the maximum voltage value and ( Or, it is possible to suppress the continuous application of the pulse voltage having the maximum duty value) for a long time. Thereby, deterioration of the ion generator 5 can be suppressed and the frequency of replacement | exchange of the ion generator 5 can be reduced.

  The deodorizer A described above has three operation modes of a strong ion mode, a standard ion mode, and a weak ion mode depending on the amount of ions generated from the ion generator 5, but is not limited to this, and more The mode may be provided. Moreover, when the decomposition | disassembly of the odor causative substance by ion is hardly expectable, it is good also as a pause mode which pauses the drive of the ion generator 5 at the time of weak ion mode.

  When the control unit 9 adjusts the ion generation amount from the ion generator 5 in each operation mode, the blower 3 operates when the ion generation amount from the ion generator 5 is small (weak ion mode). You may control the air blower 3 so that the quantity of the air blown from may be increased. As the amount of air blown from the blower 3 increases, the amount of air sucked from the suction port 13 increases. Thereby, since the amount of air passing through the filters 15 and 211 increases, the deodorizing ability by collecting the odor-causing substances by the filters 15 and 211 can be enhanced.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be employed in air conditioners such as deodorizers, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, and air conditioners that include a deodorizing filter and an ion generator.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 11 Engagement part 111 Insertion port 12 Outlet 121 Louver 13 Inlet 14 Sensor inlet 15 Filter 16 Socket 2 Back cover 21 Inlet 211 Filter 3 Blower 31 Fan casing 311 Fan outlet 32 Fan 33 Fan motor 4 Duct 40 Air passage 41 Intermediate part 411 Generation hole 412 Detection hole 42 Restriction part 43 Diffusion part 5 Ion generator 51 Ion generation unit 510 Support substrate 511 Discharge electrode 512 Dielectric electrode 513 Guard rib 52 Housing case 521 Engaging claw 53 Ion emission part 530 Through hole 54 Pin connector 55 High voltage generation circuit 56 Storage unit 6 Ion detector 61 Circuit board 62 Ion collection electrode 63 Ion detection circuit 64 Protective body 7 Odor sensor 81 Display unit 82 Operation unit 9 Control unit

Claims (9)

A blower that sucks in and blows in air;
Foreign matter collecting means for collecting foreign matter contained in the air sucked into the blower,
An air conditioner comprising ion generating means for mixing ions into the air blown by the blower,
Odor intensity detection means for detecting the intensity of the odor of the air being sucked in is provided,
When the odor intensity value detected by the odor intensity detection means is higher than a predetermined first value, a control means is provided for controlling the ion generation means so as to reduce the amount of ions mixed into the air. An air conditioner characterized by.   The control means controls the ion generation means to increase the amount of ions mixed into the air when the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means is lower than a second value lower than the first value. The air conditioner according to claim 1.   3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the ion generation unit so as to return the ion generation amount to the generation amount during normal operation after increasing the ion generation amount and operating for a certain period of time. The ion generating means includes a discharge electrode and a dielectric electrode that generates a corona discharge between the discharge electrode,
When the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means is higher than the first value, the control means reduces the voltage value between the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode during the corona discharge or the number of discharges. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ion generating means is controlled so as to be at least one of reducing the amount of the air. The voltage applied to the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode is a pulse voltage,
The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the ion generation unit so as to reduce a duty value of the pulse voltage. The voltage applied to the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode is an alternating voltage,
The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the control means controls the ion generation means so as to lower the frequency of the AC voltage.   When the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means is lower than the second value, the control means increases the voltage value between the discharge electrode and the dielectric electrode during the corona discharge or the number of discharges. The air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the ion generating means is controlled so that at least one of the two is increased.   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control means controls the blower so as to adjust the amount of air blown out according to the odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection means. .   The air control according to claim 8, wherein the control unit controls the blower so as to increase an amount of the blown air when an odor intensity detected by the odor intensity detection unit is higher than the first value. apparatus.

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