JP2013240764A - Discharge pin member and electrostatic atomizer using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a discharge pin member capable of discharging a large amount of mist to the outside in an electrostatic atomizer discharging the mist containing the functional component to the outside, and an electrostatic atomizer using the same.SOLUTION: A discharge pin member 11 for discharging mist 17 to the outside in an electrostatic atomizer includes a plurality of carbon fibers, and a fastening member 12 for binding the plurality of the carbon fibers to obtain a carbon fiber molding 11b. An electrostatic atomizer 10 includes the discharge pin member 11, a water reserving part 14, a water retaining part 13 having the discharge pin member protrusively provided thereon so as to retain a solution 16 absorbed from the water reserving part, and an application electrode 15 for applying voltage to the discharge pin member.

Description

The present invention relates to an electrostatic atomizer that discharges mist to the outside, and a discharge pin member that can discharge a large amount of mist to the outside without applying a high voltage, and an electrostatic atomizer using the same. About.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electrostatic atomizer that atomizes an aqueous solution containing a nonvolatile functional component by applying a high voltage and releases it as a mist is known. As the aqueous solution, for example, water containing functional components such as vitamin C and amino acids, aroma oil, deodorant and the like are used.
Generally, an electrostatic atomizer transports an aqueous solution from a water storage part to a tip part of a discharge pin member by capillary action, and discharges mist from the tip part by applying a voltage to the discharge pin member.
However, in the conventional electrostatic atomizer, when the aqueous solution to be replenished to the water tank is water containing mineral components such as Ca and Mg such as tap water, this mineral component is CO in the air. _{In some} cases, CaCO ₃ , MgO or the like is deposited on the release pin member by reacting with No. ₂ and hinders the release of mist.
With respect to such a problem, in Patent Document 1, by providing an ion exchange part for removing a mineral component in a water conveyance path, CaCO _{3 is} caused by reaction with CO ₂ in the air in a sharp atomization part. And an electrostatic atomizer that can be used continuously without regular maintenance is disclosed.

JP 2009-255091 A

However, in conventional electrostatic atomizers that have an atomizing section that applies a high voltage and discharges mist, the porous body constituting the discharge pin member touches the air and causes an oxidation reaction so that the oxide adheres. However, there is a problem of clogging the porous body.
When the porous body is clogged in this way, a phenomenon occurs in which the transport of water due to the capillary phenomenon is hindered and the mist release is suppressed, so that oxides and the like that are deposited and adhered to the release pin member are clogged. It was necessary to perform maintenance to remove or to apply a higher voltage than necessary for mist emission.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has intensively studied paying attention to a discharge pin member for discharging mist. It has been found that a large amount of mist can be released without any problems, and the present invention has been completed.

The discharge pin member according to claim 1 is a member that discharges mist to the outside in an electrostatic atomizer, and a plurality of carbon fibers and a fastening member that bundles the plurality of carbon fibers into a carbon fiber molded body When,
It is characterized by having.

The discharge pin member according to claim 2 is characterized in that the fastening member for bundling the carbon fibers has a hollow portion, and the tip of the carbon fiber is exposed from the hollow portion.

The release pin member according to claim 3 is characterized in that the fastening member is a heat shrinkable tube made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin, PET, fluorine resin, etc., contracted by heat treatment.

An electrostatic atomizer according to the present invention includes a discharge pin member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a water storage unit, a water retention unit that holds the aqueous solution that protrudes from the water storage unit by protruding the discharge pin member, And an application electrode for applying a voltage to the discharge pin member.

According to the present invention, by having carbon fibers in the discharge pin member, it is possible to suppress the resistance value of the discharge pin member and discharge the mist to the outside without applying a higher voltage than necessary.
At the same time, since the discharge pin member is not clogged, the mist can be stably discharged without maintenance over a long period of time.

It is the schematic which shows one form of embodiment of the electrostatic atomizer which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the discharge | release pin member which consists of a carbon fiber molding of an Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of a discharge | release pin member. It is sectional drawing of the discharge | release pin member of Example 2. FIG. It is a graph which shows the mist discharge | release amount when 6 kV is loaded to the discharge pin member of the conventional graphite application | coating pin member and an Example, respectively. It is a graph which shows the mist discharge | release amount when 4 kV and 3 kV are loaded to the discharge | release pin member of an Example, respectively.

The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments for carrying out the invention.
<Release pin member>
The discharge pin member is a member that discharges mist to the outside in the electrostatic atomizer.
The discharge pin member includes a plurality of carbon fibers and a fastening member that bundles the plurality of carbon fibers into a carbon fiber molded body.
The discharge pin member plays a role of sucking up water or an aqueous solution (in the present specification, both are referred to as an aqueous solution) held in the water retaining portion and discharging mist from the tip portion to the outside.
Therefore, it is necessary for the discharge pin member to have high water absorption and water retention.
This is because the aqueous solution is efficiently sucked up by the discharge pin member without staying in the water retaining portion, and the mist is discharged to the outside.

The discharge pin member is a carbon fiber molded body in which a plurality of carbon fibers are bundled (fixed) from the outside and formed into a rod-shaped body. Alternatively, they may be integrated by bonding partially or entirely with a binder or the like. And the space | gap formed in the clearance gap between carbon fibers is comprised as a flow path of aqueous solution. The carbon fiber is formed of a PAN system, a pitch system, or the like.

The plurality of carbon fibers may be bonded to each other with a resin (binder). Thereby, a cylindrical or ring-shaped fastening member can be omitted.
Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular as resin for adhere | attaching carbon fiber, Well-known synthetic adhesives, such as a urethane resin, an acrylic resin, SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), an epoxy resin, can be used suitably.
In addition, although these adhesive resins can ensure electrical conductivity to some extent even when used alone, carbon powder or metal fine particles may be mixed.

<A mixture of carbon fiber and other fibers>
The carbon fiber molded body may be a bundle of carbon fibers and metal fibers. By mixing the carbon fiber and the metal fiber, the flexibility of the carbon fiber and the durability of the metal fiber can be woven in a balanced manner.
Moreover, it is good also as a two-layer structure with the metal fiber located in a core part, and the carbon fiber in the peripheral part located outside this core part.
Moreover, you may vary a diameter by the core part and a peripheral part. For example, the diameter of the metal fiber in the core part is made larger than the diameter of the carbon fiber in the peripheral part.
In addition, it is not always necessary to make the boundary between the core portion and the peripheral portion strict, and the boundary can be adjusted as appropriate in order to realize the intended performance.

Furthermore, the carbon fiber molded body may be a bundle of carbon fibers and organic fibers.
Examples of organic fibers include nylon-based fibers such as nylon 6 (registered trademark), nylon 66 (registered trademark), and aromatic polyamide, and polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and polycarbonate. Various fibers, acrylic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile, polyolefin fibers such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polymethacrylate fibers such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinylidene chloride Examples of the raw materials include various fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, various polyurethane fibers, phenol fibers, fluorine fibers made of polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, and the like.
In addition, examples of the shape include solid fibers (for example, non-hollow long fibers and short fiber filaments) and straw-shaped hollow fibers having cavities therein.
The outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 0.2 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or less, and the inner diameter is preferably 10 μm or more and 50 μm or less.
In addition, as a material used for a hollow fiber, if it can be processed into a hollow fiber, an inorganic material may be sufficient, for example, materials, such as carbon-type fibers, such as a carbon nanotube, etc. are mentioned.

<Fastening member>
The fastening member is a member for bundling the carbon fiber molded body from the outside. For example, a cylindrical or ring-shaped resin, metal, or ceramic material is used.
A gap between the carbon fiber molded body and the cylindrical or ring-shaped fastening member is filled with a hot-melted resin or the like to fix the carbon fiber molded body and the fastening member.
Moreover, as a fastening member, a binder can be mixed and solidified in a carbon fiber molding. In this case, a cylinder or ring for bundling the carbon fiber molded body from the outside becomes unnecessary.
As the binder, it is desirable to use a conductive resin (a resin that can ensure conductivity), or a resin mixed with carbon powder or metal powder. Examples of the resin that can ensure conductivity include urethane resin, acrylic resin, SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), and epoxy resin.

<Heat Shrink Tube as Fastening Member>
In addition, the said fastening member can also be formed using a heat shrinkable tube. The heat-shrinkable tube (fastening member) can be shrunk by heating means such as a dryer, and a plurality of conductive fibers can be easily bundled in the fastening member. Examples of the heat shrinkable tube include polyolefin, PET, and a fluorine-based thermoplastic resin.
In addition, electroconductivity powder, such as carbon powder, can be mixed with the raw material of a heat contraction tube, and electroconductivity can also be provided.

<Shape of discharge pin member>
Examples of the shape of the discharge pin member include a carbon fiber formed as a rod-like body, but the shape is not limited to this, and may be an elliptical column shape, a conical shape, a prismatic shape, or the like.
Moreover, it is preferable that the front-end | tip part of a discharge | release pin member is a curved surface shape rounded rather than planar shape. This is because when the shape is sharp, the current does not reach the tip of the discharge pin member and the aqueous solution cannot be retained sufficiently, which is not preferable.

Since the water absorption characteristics of the aqueous solution differ depending on the material and structure of the carbon fiber molded body, the discharge performance of the carbon fiber molded body is determined by measuring the amount of water taken up per hour.
The release performance is determined by the water absorption rate per hour of the carbon fiber molded body, and the water absorption rate of about 30 to 100% is suitable for any material.
The water absorption refers to the percentage of the total amount of water contained in the saturated carbon fiber molded body with respect to the mass of the absolutely dry carbon fiber molded body.

<Electrostatic atomizer>
The electrostatic atomizer which concerns on this invention makes a water solution electrostatic atomize by applying a DC voltage, and discharge | releases it as the mist outside.
The electrostatic atomizer includes a discharge pin member, a water storage portion, a water retention portion that protrudes from the discharge pin member and holds an aqueous solution absorbed from the water storage portion, and an application electrode that applies a voltage to the discharge pin member. And comprising.

<Water retention department>
The water retaining part for projecting the completed release pin member is a structure having excellent water absorption and water retaining power, and is composed of a porous body or a carbon fiber molded body formed by combining carbon fiber and carbon material, The shape is not particularly limited.
In addition to a porous body or a carbon fiber molded body, a honeycomb structure, a corrugated structure, a pipe shape, a sheet shape, a pleated shape, or the like may be used as long as the structure has excellent water absorption and water retention. In addition, since the water retention part has lower water absorption and retention capacity than the discharge pin member, the water absorbed in the water retention part is sucked into the discharge pin member without being retained in the water retention part, and the mist is discharged to the outside. be able to.

<Applied electrode>
The application electrode that applies a DC voltage to the discharge pin member is a power source that generates a DC negative voltage of about 4 to 10 kV, for example, and its negative electrode is connected to the water holding part via a conductor, and the water holding part that holds the aqueous solution Negatively charged.
By connecting the negative electrode of the application electrode to the water retention part, the current flows in search of the place where it is most likely to be discharged, and normally uses the property of gathering in a place where the tip is pointed or where carbon fiber has excellent electrical conductivity. , It will gather into the release pin member.
Thus, by applying a voltage to the discharge pin member, it is possible to discharge mist from the discharge pin member to the outside due to a natural discharge phenomenon.
In addition, you may connect the positive electrode of an application electrode to a water retention part, and may provide a positive charge.

<Water reservoir>
The water storage unit stores the aqueous solution and constantly supplies the aqueous solution to the water holding unit using a capillary phenomenon or the like. Although the capacity | capacitance, a shape, etc. of a water storage part are not specifically limited, It is preferable to select suitably according to required mist discharge | release amount.

<Aqueous solution>
As an aqueous solution accommodated in the water storage part, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), vitamin C ester (such as magnesium L-ascorbate phosphate, sodium L-ascorbate phosphate, magnesium ascorbate phosphate), vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin Dα-riboic acid, amino acids, tea extract (catechin, tannin, saponin, theanine, caffeine, etc.), hyaluronic acid, collagen, aroma essential oil (lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, tea tree, sage , Clove, orange, grapefruit, cinnamon, jasmine, etc.), coffee beans, tea confectionery, wasabi, hinokitiol, chitin, chitosan, propolis, etc., and other inorganic substances (inorganic soluble ingredients), Silver or salt listed It is. Also, it is possible to platinum nanoparticles, also palladium nanoparticles such use.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the discharge pin member of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Example 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an electrostatic atomizer 10 according to the present invention. In the figure, the electrostatic atomizer 10 includes a water storage unit 12, a water retention unit 13 that absorbs water from the water storage unit 12 through a water absorption sheet 12a, a water absorption pin, and the like, and holds an aqueous solution, and a mist that protrudes from the water retention unit 13. The discharge pin member 11 which discharges the outside and the application electrode 14 which applies a negative voltage to the discharge pin member 11 from a DC power source are provided.
With such a configuration, the discharge pin member 11 protruding from the water retention part 13 sucks up the aqueous solution 16 held in the water retention part 13 and discharges the mist 17 from the tip part 11a to the outside while holding a negative charge. To do.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge pin member 11 used in the electrostatic atomizer according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge pin member 11 includes a carbon fiber molded body 11b made of a plurality of carbon fibers and a ring-shaped fastening member 12 that bundles the carbon fiber molded bodies 11b.
In order to release a large amount of mist, the shape of its tip is not preferably a sharp shape, but is preferably a gently rounded one or a flat surface.
Although not shown, the shape of the cross section of the discharge pin member 11 (perpendicular to the direction in which the carbon fibers are aligned) is not particularly limited, such as a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, or a quadrangle.

<Example 2>
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the discharge pin member of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge pin member 21 is bundled by a fastening member 22 on the outside of a carbon fiber molded body 21 b made of carbon fiber.
The fastening member 22 is a tube made of a material such as an epoxy resin so as to have a hollow portion 22a. A carbon fiber molded body 21b is inserted into the hollow portion 22a.
Further, in the carbon fiber molded body 21b of Example 2, the core portion 23b uses metal fibers, and the peripheral portion 23a uses carbon fibers. Thereby, the oxidation of the aqueous solution in the release pin can be suppressed while increasing the strength of the release pin, the clogging of the release pin can be suppressed, and fine mist can be released over a long period of time.

<Example 3>
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge pin member according to the third embodiment. The release pin member 31 of the third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that the carbon fiber molded body 31b is bundled by the fastening member 32, but the fastening member 32 is formed of a heat shrinkable tube, and the carbon fiber molding is performed. The rear end 31c of the body 31b is different in that it is fixed to a stainless steel conductor (pipe) 35 provided with a water retaining portion 13 therein. Thereby, the stainless steel pipe 35 provided with the water retention part 13 can be erected on a fixed base (not shown).

The discharge pin member 31 of Example 3 is manufactured as follows. That is, in the example of FIG. 4A, the carbon fiber molded body 31b is inserted into the heat-shrinkable tube 32 as the fastening member, and the stainless pipe 35 as the conductor is inserted into the rear end 31c. The fiber molded body 31 b and the stainless pipe 35 are covered with a resin heat shrinkable tube 32.
Next, hot air is applied from outside using a dryer or the like to shrink the heat-shrinkable tube 32, and the carbon fiber molded body 31 b, the stainless steel pipe 35, and the fastening member 32 are integrated.
By shrinking the heat shrinkable tube 32, the fraying of the carbon fiber molded body 31b can be restrained, and the stainless steel pipe 35 can be fixed to the rear end of the carbon fiber molded body 31b.

In the example of FIG. 4B, first, a heat-shrinkable tube 32 in which a carbon fiber molded body 31b is inserted into a heat-shrinkable tube 32 as a fastening member is applied with hot air from the outside using a dryer or the like. Is contracted to fix the carbon fiber molded body 31b.
Thereafter, the rear end 31c of the carbon fiber molded body 31b is inserted into the stainless pipe 35 as a conductor, and is integrated with the fastening member 32 to which the carbon fiber molded body 31b is fixed.
In this case, by forming the caulking 35a at the end of the stainless steel pipe 35,
The connection strength and the electrical connection with the carbon fiber molded body 31b are ensured.

<Evaluation of Examples>
The amount of mist released was measured using the release pin member of Example 1 and a conventional graphite-coated pin member (a mist release pin member in which graphite was applied around a resin felt). A particle distribution measuring device (DMA system) manufactured by Wyckoff Scientific Co., Ltd. was used for measuring the amount of mist released.
In the measurement, the load voltage was changed with respect to the discharge pin member, and the mist discharge amount was compared.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the amount of mist discharged when 6 kV is applied to the conventional graphite-coated pin member and the discharge pin member of the second embodiment.
The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 indicates the diameter of the released mist particles, and the vertical axis indicates the number (number) of the released mist particles.
In the conventional graphite-coated pin member as shown in (a), the peak value was about 4300 / cm ³ when the mist particle diameter was 2 nm, but as shown in (b), the release pin member of Example 2 Then, when the mist particle diameter was 4 nm, the peak value was about 530000 particles / cm ³ .
From this, it can be seen that the release pin member of Example 2 released about 100 times more mist particles than the conventional graphite-coated pin member.
6C and 6D are graphs showing the amount of mist discharged when 4 kV and 3 kV are loaded on the discharge pin member of Example 2, respectively.
6C and 6D, in the release pin of Example 2, when the particle diameter is 2 nm with a load of 4 kV, a mist with a peak value of about 460000 pieces / cm ³ is emitted, and the particle diameter is with a load of 3 kV. It can be seen that a mist having a peak value of about 400,000 / cm ³ was emitted when the thickness was 2 nm.
From this, even if the voltage applied to the electrode was lowered, a large amount of mist particles could be released as compared with the conventional graphite-coated pin member.

The present invention relates to a discharge pin member capable of discharging a large amount of mist to the outside without applying an unnecessarily high voltage in an electrostatic atomizer that discharges mist containing a functional component to the outside, and the same An electrostatic atomizer using the above is provided. According to the present invention, it is possible to discharge a large amount of mist without applying an unnecessarily high voltage by supporting the conductive material on the discharge pin member body, and at the same time, using a mist containing a functional component. Since the sterilization effect is improved, it can be applied to devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, laundry, hair dryers, electric fans, air purifiers, humidifiers, facial instruments, etc., and the industrial applicability is very high.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electrostatic atomizer 11, 21, 31 Release | release pin member 11b, 21b, 31b Carbon fiber molded object 11a Tip part 12, 22, 32 Fastening member 12a Water absorption sheet 13 Water retention part 14 Water storage part 15 Applied electrode 16 Water, aqueous solution 17 Mist 22a Hollow part 23a Peripheral part 23b Core part 31c Rear end 35 Conductor 35a Caulking

Claims (4)

A member that discharges mist to the outside in the electrostatic atomizer,
Multiple carbon fibers,
A fastening member for bundling the plurality of carbon fibers to form a carbon fiber molded body,
A discharge pin member characterized by comprising: The discharge pin member according to claim 1, wherein a fastening member that bundles the carbon fibers has a hollow portion, and a tip of the carbon fiber is exposed from the hollow portion. The discharge pin member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fastening member is a heat-shrinkable tube made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin, PET, or fluorine resin, and is contracted by heat treatment. The discharge pin member according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A water reservoir,
A water retaining part for projecting the discharge pin member and holding the aqueous solution absorbed by the water storage part;
An electrostatic atomizer comprising: an application electrode that applies a voltage to the discharge pin member.