JP2016215117A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air cleaner capable of cleaning air in a wide room while suppressing size increase of the air cleaner.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 1 comprises: a housing 2 installed on a floor face; a suction port 4 opening to a peripheral face on a lower part of the housing 2; outlets 51, 52 opening to both side parts on an upper part of the housing 2 respectively; a blowing passage 7 comprising a branch passage 71 extending in a vertical direction on one side part of the housing 2 and communicating the suction port 4 and the outlet 51, and a branch passage 72 extending in the vertical direction on the other side part of the housing 2 and communicating the suction port 4 and the outlet 52; and a dust collector for collecting dusts included in the air and disposed in the blowing passage 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air cleaner provided with a dust collection unit that collects dust in the air.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional air cleaner. In this air cleaner, a suction port and a blower outlet are opened in a housing that is installed on the floor surface of the room, and a ventilation passage that connects the suction port and the blower outlet is provided in the housing. The suction port is opened at the front surface of the housing, and the air outlet is opened from the left end portion to the right end portion of the rear upper surface of the housing. A blower is disposed in the blower passage, and a prefilter (dust collector) that collects dust in the air is erected on the upstream side of the blower in the blower passage.

  In the air cleaner having the above configuration, when the operation is started, the blower is driven and air is sucked from the suction port. The air sucked from the suction port is sent into the room through the air outlet after dust is collected by the prefilter. Thereby, indoor air can be cleaned.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-289235 (pages 3 to 5, FIGS. 1 and 3)

  When the room in which the conventional air purifier is installed becomes wide, the airflow sent from the air outlet does not spread throughout the room. As a result, the interior of the room cannot be sufficiently agitated, and air away from the air cleaner does not flow into the housing, resulting in a problem that the air in the room is not sufficiently cleaned. On the other hand, when the blower is made large, there is a problem that the air cleaner becomes large.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier that can clean large indoor air while suppressing an increase in size.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A chassis installed on the floor;
A suction port opening in the lower peripheral surface of the housing;
A first air outlet and a second air outlet that open on both sides of the upper portion of the housing, and
A first branch passage that extends vertically on one side of the housing and communicates the suction port and the first outlet; and a suction passage that extends vertically on the other side of the housing. A ventilation passage having a second branch passage communicating the mouth and the second outlet;
A dust collecting portion arranged in the air passage and collecting dust in the air;
It is characterized by having.

  According to this configuration, air flows into the air passage from the suction port at the lower part of the housing, and dust in the air is collected by the dust collecting unit. The air in which the dust is collected flows through the first branch path and the second branch path and is sent out from the first outlet and the second outlet, respectively.

  In the air cleaner configured as described above, it is preferable that the first air outlet and the second air outlet are opened vertically.

  Moreover, this invention is an air cleaner of the said structure, It is provided with the 1st air blower which distribute | circulates an airflow to a 1st branch path, and the 2nd fan which distributes an airflow to a 2nd branch path, The said dust collection part is the said A prefilter that faces the suction port and collects dust, and a first dust collection filter that stands between the suction port and the first blower in the housing and collects dust that is smaller than the prefilter. And a second dust collection filter that stands between the suction port in the housing and the second blower and collects dust smaller than the pre-filter, and is a first branch outside the blow passage. It is preferable to provide a dust removing portion that is disposed in a space between the road and the second branch path and removes the dust from the prefilter.

  In the air cleaner configured as described above, preferably, the dust removing unit is disposed above the first dust collecting filter and the second dust collecting filter, and dust is removed by moving the prefilter upward.

  In the air cleaner configured as described above, the dust removing unit is disposed above the first dust collecting filter and the second dust collecting filter, and moves along the air intake surface of the prefilter to perform dust removal. preferable.

  In the air cleaner configured as described above, it is preferable that the air intake surfaces of the first dust collection filter and the second dust collection filter are inclined to face each other as they approach the suction port.

  In the air cleaner having the above-described configuration, the present invention includes an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance in the room and a human body sensor that detects the human body in the room, and the illuminance in the room is greater than a predetermined start illuminance and no human body is detected. It is preferable to have a first cleaning mode in which the dust removing unit is sometimes driven and a second cleaning mode in which the dust removing unit is driven when a human body is not detected and the human body is not detected.

  In the air cleaner having the above-described configuration, the present invention includes a dirt sensor that detects the concentration of odor components or dust in the air, an illuminance sensor that detects indoor illuminance, and a human body sensor that detects a human body in the room. In accordance with the concentration of odor components or dust, the ranks are classified into a plurality of dirt levels, and when the dirt level is large, the rotational speeds of the first blower and the second fan are made larger than when the dirt level is small, and the dirt level is set to a predetermined level. A first sensitivity mode that ranks according to a boundary value; and a second sensitivity mode that determines the degree of contamination at a higher sensitivity than the first sensitivity mode and ranks the degree of contamination equal to or greater than the first sensitivity mode. If the illuminance in the room is larger than the predetermined mode switching illuminance and no human body is detected in the first sensitivity mode, the mode is switched to the second sensitivity mode regardless of the setting of the first sensitivity mode. Masui.

  In the air cleaner configured as described above, it is preferable that the dust removing unit is driven when an integrated value of the degree of contamination determined every predetermined time exceeds a predetermined value.

  According to the present invention, the first branch path that extends vertically on one side of the housing and communicates the suction port and the first air outlet, and extends vertically on the other side of the housing. It has the 2nd branch way which connects a suction inlet and a 2nd blower outlet. Thereby, since the airflow sent out from the first blowout port and the second blowout port entrains the air between the first blowout port and the second blowout port outside the housing, The amount increases. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size and clean the air in a large room.

The front view which shows the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The rear view which shows the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Top surface sectional drawing which shows the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the dust removal operation | movement of the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the air cleaner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the air cleaner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

<First Embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG.1 and FIG.2 has each shown the front view and the rear view of the air cleaner of 1st Embodiment. The white arrow in FIG. 1 indicates the flow of air. The air cleaner 1 has a housing 2 that opens on the floor surface of the room and the like by opening the suction port 4 and the air outlets 51 and 52 (first air outlet and second air outlet). In the housing 2, a blower 11 (first blower), a blower 12 (second blower), a prefilter 8, a dust collection filter 91 (first dust collection filter), and a dust collection filter 92 (second dust collection filter) described later are provided. ) And a dust removing unit 20 are provided. The pre-filter 8 and the dust collection filters 91 and 92 constitute a dust collection unit.

  The suction port 4 opens in the lower part of the rear surface of the housing 2, and the air outlets 51 and 52 open in the left side and right side of the upper front of the housing 2, respectively. The air outlets 51 and 52 are each opened vertically. A cover member (not shown) provided with a grid-like grille is detachably attached to the housing 2 at the suction port 4. Lattice-like grilles 51a and 52a are provided at the air outlets 51 and 52, respectively.

  A human body sensor 14 is provided at the center of the upper end of the front surface of the housing 2. The human body sensor 14 is composed of an infrared sensor, for example, and detects a human body in the room.

  FIG. 3 is a top sectional view of the air cleaner 1. In FIG. 3, white arrows indicate the flow of air. A blower passage 7 is provided in the housing 2 to allow the suction port 4 and the blowout ports 51 and 52 to communicate with each other. A pre-filter 8 is disposed in the air passage 7 so as to face the suction port 4, and the air passage 7 is formed downstream of the pre-filter 8 so that the left side and the right side of the housing 2 extend in the vertical direction. Branch path 71 (first branch path) and branch path 72 (second branch path). The branch paths 71 and 72 communicate with the air outlets 51 and 52, respectively.

  In the branch path 71, a dust collection filter 91, a blower 11, and an ion generator 17 (see FIG. 1) are arranged in this order from the inlet 4 toward the outlet 51 (from upstream to downstream of the airflow). Further, in the branch path 72, a dust collection filter 92, the blower 12, and the ion generator 17 (see FIG. 1) are sequentially arranged from the suction port 4 toward the blowout port 52.

  Thereby, the air blowers 11 and 12 are arrange | positioned at the left side part and the right side part of the housing | casing 2, respectively. The blowers 11 and 12 are formed by sirocco fans driven by motors 11a and 12a, respectively, and intake air in the axial direction and exhaust air in the circumferential direction. Air is sucked from the suction port 4 by driving the blowers 11 and 12, and airflow flows through the branch paths 71 and 72, respectively.

  The prefilter 8 is erected so as to face the suction port 4. The pre-filter 8 is formed by welding a polypropylene mesh 8b (see FIG. 2) to a rectangular frame 8a (see FIG. 2) having a plurality of rows and rows of windows made of synthetic resin such as ABS. A large amount of dust in the air can be collected by the prefilter 8.

  The dust collection filters 91 and 92 are HEPA filters, and frame members 91c and 92c are welded by hot melt so as to cover the filter media 91b and 92b, respectively. The filter media 91b and 92b are preferably each pleated. Thereby, the filtration area of the filter media 91b and 92b can be enlarged. The dust collection filters 91 and 92 can collect fine dust containing PM2.5 (microparticulate matter) that is smaller than the dust collected by the pre-filter 8.

  The dust collection filters 91 and 92 are disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the housing 2 so as to be sandwiched between the blowers 11 and 12. Further, the suction surfaces 91 a and 92 a of the dust collection filters 91 and 92 are inclined and opposed so as to be separated from each other as they approach the suction port 4.

  Further, a deodorizing filter (not shown) having an adsorbent such as activated carbon is disposed between the pre-filter 8 and the dust collection filters 91 and 92. Thereby, the odor component in air can be adsorbed and air can be deodorized.

The ion generator 17 (refer FIG. 1) is each arrange | positioned at the branch paths 71 and 72, and has an electrode (not shown) which faces the branch paths 71 and 72. A voltage having an AC waveform or an impulse waveform is applied to the electrodes. When the applied voltage of the electrode is a positive voltage, positive ions mainly composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) m are generated, and when the voltage is negative, negative ions mainly composed of O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) n are generated. Here, m and n are integers. H ⁺ (H ₂ O) m and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) n aggregate on the surface of airborne bacteria and odor components and surround them.

Then, as shown in the formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are aggregated and formed on the surface of the microorganism or the like by collision. Destroy airborne bacteria. Here, m ′ and n ′ are integers. Therefore, the air purifier 1 can perform sterilization and odor removal in the room by generating positive ions and negative ions and sending them out from the outlets 51 and 52.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) n → OH + 1 / 2O ₂ + (m + n) H ₂ O (1)
_{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} + H + (H 2 O) m '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) n + O 2 - (H 2 O) n'
→ 2 OH + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (2)
_{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} + H + (H 2 O) m '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) n + O 2 - (H 2 O) n'
→ H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (3)

  An odor sensor 18 (dirt sensor, see FIG. 6) for detecting the concentration (odor concentration) of odor components in the air is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 4. The odor sensor 18 includes a circuit having, for example, a metal oxide semiconductor, and detects the odor concentration based on a change in the resistance value of the metal oxide semiconductor when an odor component is adsorbed.

  FIG. 4 shows a side sectional view of the air cleaner 1. White arrows indicate the air flow. As shown in FIG. 1, a dust removing unit 20 that removes the pre-filter 8 is disposed in a space S between the branch path 71 and the branch path 72 above the dust collection filters 91 and 92 outside the air passage 7. . The dust removing unit 20 includes a rotating brush 21, a dust box 22, a guide frame 23, and a pinion 24.

  The pinion 24 meshes with racks (not shown) provided on both side ends of the pre-filter 8 and is connected to a filter motor 27 (see FIG. 6). When the pinion 24 is rotated by driving the filter motor 27, the pre-filter 8 reciprocates between a collection position A facing the suction port 4 and a retreat position B retracted from the collection position A. At this time, the prefilter 8 is guided by the guide frame 23 arranged in the space S.

  The dust box 22 is disposed along the guide frame 23 and is detachable from the housing 2. The dust box 22 can be attached to and detached from the housing 2 through the opening 29 (see FIG. 2) on the back surface of the housing 2.

  The rotating brush 21 is disposed in the dust box 22 and is driven to rotate by a brush motor 28 (see FIG. 6). The rotating brush 21 has a rotating shaft portion 21a extending in the left-right direction of the housing 2 and nylon brush hairs (not shown). The brush bristles stand upright on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft portion 21a and are mounted in a plurality of rows. Gears (not shown) are provided at both ends of the rotating shaft portion 21a, and the rotating brush 21 is detachable from a brush motor 28 connected via the gears. The brush motor 28 rotates the rotating brush 21 counterclockwise in FIG. 4 via a gear. As will be described later, the dust on the prefilter 8 removed by the rotating brush 21 is accumulated in the dust box 22.

  FIG. 5 shows a top view of the air cleaner 1. White arrows indicate the air flow. An operation unit 6 is provided on the front upper surface of the housing 2. The operation unit 6 includes a plurality of buttons 6a, and the operation setting of the air cleaner 1 is performed by operating each button 6a. By operating each button 6a, the on / off of the blower 1 is changed, the air volume of the blowers 11 and 12 is changed, the ion generator 17 is turned on / off, each sensitivity mode to be described later is set, and the normal cleaning mode and the office cleaning mode are switched. Can be instructed.

  In addition, an illuminance sensor 15 for detecting the illuminance in the room is provided on the upper surface of the housing 2, and a notification unit 30 made of, for example, an LED is provided. In addition, you may comprise an alerting | reporting part with a speaker.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air cleaner 1. The air cleaner 1 has a control unit 100 that controls each unit. The control unit 100 is connected to the operation unit 6, the fans 11 and 12, the ion generator 17, the illuminance sensor 15, the notification unit 30, the human body sensor 14, the odor sensor 18, the storage unit 19, the filter motor 27, and the brush motor 28. The The storage unit 19 stores a control program for the air purifier 1 and also stores a calculation result by the control unit 100 and a detection result of the odor sensor 18 and the like.

  The air cleaner 1 has a low sensitivity mode (first sensitivity mode), a standard sensitivity mode (first sensitivity mode), and a high sensitivity mode (second sensitivity mode). In the following description, the low sensitivity mode, the standard sensitivity mode, and the high sensitivity mode may be collectively referred to as “sensitivity mode”. As described above, the user can set each sensitivity mode by operating the operation unit 6.

  Table 1 shows the degree of dirt ranked according to the odor concentration and the air volume of the fans 11 and 12. The odor concentration detected by the odor sensor 18 is normalized, and the lowest odor concentration within the detection range is 1 and the highest is 0. The degree of contamination is ranked into four ranks of 0 to 3 according to the odor concentration. The larger the degree of contamination, the higher the air volume (number of rotations) of the blowers 11 and 12 is set.

  The corresponding odor concentration varies depending on each sensitivity mode. That is, the normalized odor concentration boundary value with respect to the rank of the degree of dirt is larger in the standard sensitivity mode than in the low sensitivity mode, and larger in the high sensitivity mode than in the standard sensitivity mode. Thereby, it is determined that the high sensitivity mode has higher sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the standard sensitivity mode, and the standard sensitivity mode is determined to have higher sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the low sensitivity mode.

  The blowers 11 and 12 can be changed to a plurality of blowing levels of “Fine”, “Weak”, “Medium” and “Strong” based on the degree of dirt. The rotation speeds of the blowers 11 and 12 increase in the order of “fine”, “weak”, “medium”, and “strong”. In other words, the blowers 11 and 12 are driven at a blower level with a higher rotational speed than when the dirt level is high and when the dirt level is high. As a result, when the odor concentration is low, the rotational speed of the blowers 11 and 12 is reduced, so that an increase in noise and power consumption can be prevented. On the other hand, when the odor concentration is high, the rotation speed of the blowers 11 and 12 is increased, so that a large amount of indoor air quickly passes through the deodorizing filter and the amount of ions in the room increases rapidly. Thereby, an odor component can be quickly removed from the air.

  For example, when the normalized odor concentration value is 0.86, in the low sensitivity mode, the standard sensitivity mode, and the high sensitivity mode, the stain levels are determined as “0”, “1”, and “2”, respectively. The blowers 11 and 12 are driven at a blowing level of “fine”, “weak”, and “medium”.

  Further, the air cleaner 1 has a normal cleaning mode (first cleaning mode) and an office cleaning mode (second cleaning mode) with respect to dust removal of the pre-filter 8. The normal cleaning mode and the office cleaning mode are switched by operating the operation unit 6. The normal cleaning mode is selected when the air cleaner 1 is installed in a place where there are many people at night, such as a general home. The office cleaning mode is selected when the air cleaner 1 is installed in a place where there are many people at night such as an office. Details of the normal cleaning mode and the office cleaning mode will be described later.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air cleaner 1. When operation of the air cleaner 1 is instructed by operation of the operation unit 6, the human body sensor 14, the illuminance sensor 15, and the odor sensor 18 are driven in step # 11. In step # 12, the fans 11 and 12 are driven. Thereby, the air blowing operation of the air cleaner 1 is executed, and the indoor air is sucked from the suction port 4 and flows through the branch paths 71 and 72. At this time, large dust in the air is collected by the prefilter 8, and fine dust in the air is collected by the dust collection filters 91 and 92.

  In step # 13, the ion generator 17 is driven. Thereby, ion is contained in the air which distribute | circulates the downstream of the air blowers 11 and 12 in the branch paths 71 and 72. FIG. Air containing ions is sent into the room from the air outlets 51 and 52. Thereby, indoor air can be cleaned.

  At this time, the airflow sent from the blowout ports 51 and 52 entrains the air between the blowout port 51 and the blowout port 52 in the vicinity of the front surface of the housing 2, so that the amount of air sent forward increases. To do. Thereby, even if a room becomes large, indoor air can fully be stirred and the air away from the air cleaner 1 flows in in the housing | casing 2 through the suction inlet 4. FIG. Therefore, the large indoor air can be purified while suppressing the increase in size of the air purifier 1.

  In step # 14, it is determined whether or not the high sensitivity mode is set. If the high sensitivity mode is set, the process proceeds to step # 18. If not set, the process proceeds to step # 15.

  In step # 15, it is determined whether or not the room illuminance I is higher than a predetermined mode switching illuminance It. Here, the mode switching illuminance It is set to, for example, the illuminance when the room lighting device (not shown) in the room is turned off at night. If the illuminance I in the room is higher than the mode switching illuminance It, the process proceeds to step # 16, and if not, the process proceeds to step # 17.

  In step # 16, the presence or absence of a human body in the room is detected. If there is a person, the process proceeds to step # 17, and if there is no person, the process proceeds to step # 18. In step # 18, the high sensitivity mode is executed. Since the high sensitivity mode determines that the sensitivity is higher and the degree of contamination is higher than the standard sensitivity mode and the low sensitivity mode, the rotation speed of the blowers 11 and 12 is higher in the high sensitivity mode than in the standard sensitivity mode and the low sensitivity mode. Probability is high. For this reason, indoor air can be cleaned more rapidly in the high sensitivity mode than in the standard sensitivity mode or the low sensitivity mode.

  In addition, since the mode is switched to the high sensitivity mode when there is no person in the room, it is possible to reduce unpleasant sensation due to the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the blowing from the air outlets 51 and 52. Further, since the mode changes to the high sensitivity mode when the illuminance I is higher than the mode switching illuminance It, for example, the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the air blown from the outlets 51 and 52 for the user who is sleeping at night. Pleasure can be reduced.

  In step # 17, it is determined whether or not the standard sensitivity mode is set. If the standard sensitivity mode is set, the process proceeds to step # 19. If the standard sensitivity mode is not set (when the low sensitivity mode is set), the process proceeds to step # 20.

  In step # 19, the standard sensitivity mode is executed. Since it is determined that the standard sensitivity mode has a lower sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the high sensitivity mode, the standard sensitivity mode is more likely to have a smaller number of rotations of the fans 11 and 12 than in the high sensitivity mode. Thereby, even when there is a person in the room, it is possible to reduce the discomfort caused by the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the blowing from the outlets 51 and 52. In addition, since the standard sensitivity mode is executed when the illuminance I in the room is not higher than the mode switching illuminance It, for example, the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the air outlets 51 and 52 for a user sleeping at night The discomfort caused by the airflow can be reduced.

  In step # 20, the low sensitivity mode is executed. Since it is determined that the low sensitivity mode has a lower sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the standard sensitivity mode, the low sensitivity mode is more likely to have a lower rotation speed of the fans 11 and 12 than in the standard sensitivity mode. Thereby, even when there is a person in the room, it is possible to further reduce the discomfort caused by the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the blowing from the outlets 51 and 52. Further, since the low sensitivity mode is executed when the illuminance I in the room is not higher than the mode switching illuminance It, for example, from the noise of the blowers 11 and 12 and the air outlets 51 and 52 for a user sleeping at night. The discomfort caused by blowing air can be further reduced.

  After step # 18 to step # 20, the process proceeds to step # 21. In step # 21, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to end the air blowing operation of the air cleaner 1. If there is an end instruction, the process proceeds to step # 22. If there is no end instruction, the process returns to step # 14, and steps # 14 to # 21 are repeated.

  In step # 22, the fans 11 and 12 are stopped. In step # 23, the ion generator 17 is stopped.

  In step # 24, it is determined whether or not the accumulated value D of the degree of contamination determined every predetermined time (for example, 1 hour) exceeds the predetermined upper limit Du (for example, “20”) when the blowers 11 and 12 are driven. Is done. When the integrated value D exceeds the upper limit value Du, the process proceeds to step # 25. When the integrated value D does not exceed the upper limit value Du, the human body sensor 14, the illuminance sensor 15, and the odor sensor 18 are stopped at step # 26. The operation of the air cleaner 1 ends.

  In the high sensitivity mode, the dirt level is determined with higher sensitivity than in the standard sensitivity mode, and the same or larger dirt level than the standard sensitivity mode is ranked. For this reason, the integrated value D tends to be larger in the high sensitivity mode than in the standard sensitivity mode. In the high sensitivity mode, the number of rotations of the blowers 11 and 12 is often higher than that in the standard sensitivity mode, and therefore there is a high possibility that dust on the prefilter 8 is increased. Therefore, when the integrated value D is large, there is a high possibility that there is a lot of dust on the prefilter 8.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the dust removal operation in step # 25 of FIG. In step # 31, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to start the blowing operation. If there is an instruction to start the blowing operation, the process proceeds to step # 12 of FIG. 7, and if there is no instruction, the process proceeds to step # 32.

  In step # 32, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step # 33. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step # 26 in FIG. 7 and the operation of the air purifier 1 is completed.

  In step # 33, it is determined whether there is a person in the room. If there is no person in the room, the process proceeds to step # 34, and if there is a person, the process returns to step # 31.

  In step # 34, it is determined whether the room illuminance I is lower than a predetermined start illuminance Iu. The starting illuminance Iu is set to, for example, the illuminance when the room lighting device (not shown) in the room is turned off at night, and may be the same value as or different from the mode switching illuminance It (see FIG. 7). If the illuminance I is lower than the starting illuminance Iu, the process proceeds to step # 35, and if not, the process proceeds to step # 36.

  In step # 35, it is determined whether or not the normal cleaning mode is set. When the normal cleaning mode is not set, the process proceeds to step # 37, and when the normal cleaning mode is set, the process returns to step # 31. That is, when the room illuminance I is lower than the start illuminance Iu and the office cleaning mode is set, step # 37 and subsequent steps are performed.

  In step # 36, it is determined whether or not the normal cleaning mode is set. If the normal cleaning mode is set, the process proceeds to step # 37. If the normal cleaning mode is not set, the process returns to step # 31. That is, when the room illuminance I is higher than the start illuminance Iu and the normal cleaning mode is set, step # 37 and subsequent steps are performed.

  In step # 37, the brush motor 28 is driven, and the rotating brush 21 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. In step # 38, the filter motor 27 is driven, and the pinion 24 that meshes with the rack of the pre-filter 8 rotates. Thereby, the dust removal part 20 is driven and the pre-filter 8 slides upward from the collection position A (refer FIG. 4) which collects dust.

  When the prefilter 8 moving upward from the collection position A passes through the rotating brush 21, dust is removed by the brush hair. The dust removed from the prefilter 8 is stored in the dust box 22.

  When the arrival of the pre-filter 8 at the retracted position B (see FIG. 4) is detected by a sensor (not shown), the process proceeds to step # 39 and the brush motor 28 is stopped.

  In step # 40, the filter motor 27 rotates reversely, and the prefilter 8 returns from the retracted position B to the collecting position A. When the arrival of the pre-filter 8 at the collection position A is detected by a sensor (not shown), the filter motor 27 is stopped. Thereby, the drive of the dust removal part 20 is stopped.

  The prefilter 8 reciprocates once between the collection position A and the retreat position B, and the required time is about 5 minutes. For this reason, the filter motor 27 may be reversed or stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed without the sensor. Further, when the prefilter 8 returns from the retracted position B to the collecting position A, the brush motor 28 may be rotated in reverse. Thereby, the dust on the pre-filter 8 can be removed more reliably.

  In step # 41, the integrated value D is reset. In step # 42, it is determined whether or not the number of driving times N (the number of cleanings) of the brush motor 28 exceeds a predetermined upper limit number Nc. When the driving number N exceeds the upper limit number Nc, the process proceeds to step # 43. When the driving number N does not exceed the upper limit number Nc, the process returns to step # 26 in FIG.

  In step # 43, notification is performed by the notification unit 30. Thereby, the user can easily recognize the disposal time of the dust in the dust box 22. After step # 43, the process returns to step # 26 in FIG. 7, and the operation of the air purifier 1 ends.

  As described above, in the normal cleaning mode, when the indoor illuminance I is larger than the start illuminance Iu and no human body is detected, the dust removing unit 20 is driven to remove the prefilter 8. As a result, when the air cleaner 1 is installed in, for example, a bedroom at home, and the user switches to the normal cleaning mode, the integrated value D exceeds the upper limit Du (that satisfies the cleaning start condition) and the room is bright. When the human body is not detected, the dust removing unit 20 is driven. Therefore, the discomfort due to the noise of the dust removing unit 20 for the user who is sleeping at night can be reduced.

  Further, in the office cleaning mode, when the indoor illuminance I is smaller than the starting illuminance Iu and no human body is detected, the dust removing unit 20 is driven to remove the prefilter 8. Thus, when the air cleaner 1 is installed in an office where there is a low possibility that there are people at night and the user switches to the office cleaning mode, the cleaning start condition is satisfied and the room is dark and no human body is detected. The dust removing unit 20 is driven. Therefore, it is possible to reduce discomfort due to noise of the dust removing unit 20 for a user who is working in an office or the like in the daytime.

  According to the present embodiment, a branch path 71 (first branch path) that extends vertically on one side of the housing 2 and communicates the suction port 4 and the outlet 51 and the other side of the housing 2. And a branch path 72 (second branch path) that extends vertically and communicates the suction port 4 and the outlet 52. As a result, the airflow sent from the air outlets 51 and 52 entrains the air between the air outlet 51 and the air outlet 52 in the vicinity of the front surface of the housing 2, so that the amount of air sent forward increases. To do. Therefore, the room air can be sufficiently stirred even when the room is widened, and the air away from the air cleaner 1 flows into the housing 2 through the suction port 4. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the air purifier 1 and to clean a large indoor air.

  Moreover, since the blower outlets 51 and 52 are each formed vertically long, the distance between the blower outlet 51 and the blower outlet 52 can be lengthened on the front surface of the housing 2. As a result, the airflow sent from the air outlets 51 and 52 can entrain more air near the front surface of the housing 2.

  Moreover, it has the air blower 11 (1st air blower) and the air blower 12 (2nd air blower) which distribute | circulate an airflow to the branch path 71 and the branch path 72, respectively, between the suction inlet 4 and the air blower 71, and the suction inlet 4 and the air blower 72, A dust collection filter 91 (first dust collection filter) and a dust collection filter 92 (second dust collection filter) are disposed between the two. As a result, a large amount of clean air can be quickly delivered into the room.

  Further, the dust removing unit 20 is disposed in the space S between the branch path 71 and the branch path 72 above the dust collection filters 91 and 92. Thereby, the fall of the air volume by the clogging of the prefilter 8 can be prevented. Moreover, since the dust removal part 20 is not arrange | positioned in the ventilation path 7, the air circulation resistance by the dust removal part 20 can be prevented, and the fall of ventilation efficiency can be prevented. Moreover, the floor area required for installation of the air cleaner 1 can be reduced. Therefore, the installation area of the air cleaner 1 can be reduced to prevent the air blowing efficiency from decreasing.

  Further, the suction surfaces 91 a and 92 a of the dust collection filters 91 and 92 are opposed to each other so as to be separated from each other as they approach the suction port 4. Thereby, the air which flowed in from the suction inlet 4 can be smoothly guide | induced to the intake surfaces 91a and 92a of the dust collection filters 91 and 92. FIG. Therefore, the pressure loss of the air cleaner 1 can be reduced.

  Further, when the illuminance I in the room is larger than the predetermined mode switching illuminance It in the standard sensitivity mode (first sensitivity mode) or the low sensitivity mode (first sensitivity mode), the standard sensitivity mode or low Switch to the high sensitivity mode (second sensitivity mode) regardless of the sensitivity mode setting. Thereby, the discomfort by the noise of the air blowers 11 and 12 and the ventilation from the blower outlet 5 can be reduced, purifying indoor air rapidly. Therefore, the comfort of the air cleaner 1 can be improved.

  Further, the normal cleaning mode (first cleaning mode) in which the dust removing unit 20 is driven when the illuminance I in the room is larger than the predetermined start illuminance Iu and no human body is detected, and the illuminance I in the room is smaller than the start illuminance Iu. Office cleaning mode (second cleaning mode) in which the dust removing unit 20 is driven when no dust is detected. Thus, when the air cleaner 1 is installed in a bedroom, for example, at home, and the user switches to the normal cleaning mode, the dust removing unit 20 is driven when the cleaning start condition is satisfied and the room is bright and no human body is detected. The Therefore, the discomfort due to the noise of the dust removing unit 20 for the user who is sleeping at night can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when the air cleaner 1 is installed in an office or the like where there is a low possibility that there are people at night and the user switches to the office cleaning mode, the cleaning start condition is satisfied and the room is dark and no human body is detected. The dust removing unit 20 is driven. Thereby, the discomfort by the noise of the dust removal part 20 with respect to the user who is working in an office etc. in the daytime can be reduced.

  In the conventional configuration in which the dust removal unit is driven when the accumulated time of the operation time of the air purifier 1 reaches a predetermined time, the dust removal unit may be driven even when the amount of dust attached to the prefilter is small. . For this reason, useless driving of a dust removal part is caused, and there exists a possibility that abrasion of a dust removal part and a pre filter may increase.

  In the present embodiment, the dust removing unit 20 is driven when the contamination degree integrated value D determined every predetermined time exceeds the upper limit Du. Thereby, useless driving of the dust removing unit 20 can be suppressed. Therefore, the wear of the dust removing unit 20 and the prefilter 8 can be suppressed, and the life of the air cleaner 1 can be extended.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG.9 and FIG.10 has each shown the front view and side sectional drawing of the air cleaner of this embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the dust removing unit 20 is different from that of the first embodiment. Further, step # 38 and step # 40 in FIG. 8 are different from the first embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The dust removing unit 20 is disposed in the space S outside the air passage 7 and includes a rotating brush 21, a dust box 22, and a moving motor (not shown). The moving motor is installed in the dust box 22 and connected to a gear (not shown) that meshes with a rack (not shown) provided in the housing 2. The brush motor 28 is installed in the dust box 22.

  In step # 38 of FIG. 8, the moving motor is driven, and the gear meshing with the rack of the housing 2 rotates. As a result, the dust removing unit 20 is driven, and the dust box 22 moves downward along the intake surface of the prefilter 8 from the storage position C (see FIG. 10) retracted from the prefilter 8.

  At this time, dust on the pre-filter 8 is removed by the bristles of the rotating brush 21. The dust removed from the prefilter 8 is stored in the dust box 22.

  When arrival of the dust box 22 to the lower end position of the pre-filter 8 is detected by a sensor (not shown), the process proceeds to step # 39.

  In step # 40, the moving motor rotates reversely, and the dust box 22 returns from the lower end position of the prefilter 8 to the storage position C. When the arrival of the prefilter 8 at the storage position C is detected by a sensor (not shown), the moving motor is stopped. Thereby, the drive of the dust removal part 20 is stopped.

  The dust box 22 reciprocates once between the storage position C and the lower end position of the prefilter 8, and the required time is about 5 minutes. For this reason, the moving motor may be reversed or stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed without the sensor. Further, when the dust box 22 returns from the lower end position of the prefilter to the storage position C, the brush motor 28 may be reversely rotated. Thereby, the dust on the pre-filter 8 can be removed more reliably.

  In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the prefilter 8 is not moved, the wear of the prefilter 8 can be reduced.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a dust sensor (dirt sensor) is provided in place of the odor sensor 18. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  A dust sensor (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 4. The dust sensor is composed of an optical sensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and detects the concentration of dust in the air (dust concentration) based on the output pulse width output from the light receiving element.

  Similar to Table 1, the dust concentration detected by the dust sensor is normalized, with 1 being the lowest and 0 being the highest in the detection range. The degree of contamination is classified into four ranks of 0 to 3 according to the dust concentration. The larger the degree of contamination, the higher the air volume (rotation speed) of the fans 11 and 12 is set.

  As for the degree of contamination, the corresponding dust concentration varies depending on each sensitivity mode. That is, the normalized dust concentration boundary value with respect to the dirt rank is larger in the standard sensitivity mode than in the low sensitivity mode, and larger in the high sensitivity mode than in the standard sensitivity mode. Thereby, it is determined that the high sensitivity mode has higher sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the standard sensitivity mode, and the standard sensitivity mode is determined to have higher sensitivity and a higher degree of contamination than the low sensitivity mode.

  In the high sensitivity mode, in step # 24 of FIG. 7, the integrated value D is more likely to exceed the upper limit value Du than in the standard sensitivity mode or the low sensitivity mode. That is, as the number of high sensitivity modes increases, the number of dust removal operations of the air cleaner 1 increases. However, in the high sensitivity mode, the rotation speeds of the blowers 11 and 12 are likely to be larger than in the standard sensitivity mode and the low sensitivity mode, and the amount of dust on the prefilter 8 is likely to be increased.

  For this reason, according to this embodiment, the amount of dust on the prefilter 8 is smaller than in the conventional configuration in which the dust removal operation is performed when the accumulated time of the operation time of the air purifier reaches a predetermined time. The driving of the dust removing unit 20 can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, in the standard sensitivity mode and the low sensitivity mode, in step # 24 of FIG. 7, the integrated value D is less likely to exceed the upper limit Du than in the high sensitivity mode. That is, in the standard sensitivity mode and the low sensitivity mode, even when the amount of dust on the prefilter 8 is large, the number of dust removal operations of the air cleaner 1 is less than that in the high sensitivity mode. For this reason, when the air blowing operation is stopped in the standard sensitivity mode or the low sensitivity mode and the answer is YES in Step # 24 in FIG. 7, the dust removal operation is further executed once after the dust removal operation in Step # 25 in FIG. . Thereby, the dust on the pre-filter 8 can be more reliably removed.

  In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the ranks are classified into a plurality of dirt levels according to the dust concentration in the air, and the rotation speeds of the blowers 11 and 12 are increased when the dirt levels are large than when they are small. Thereby, when the dust concentration is low, the rotation speed of the blowers 11 and 12 can be reduced to prevent an increase in noise and power consumption, and when the dust concentration is high, the rotation speed of the blowers 11 and 12 can be increased to increase speed. In addition, dust can be removed from the air.

  In this embodiment, the same odor sensor 18 as in the first embodiment may be provided, and ranks may be classified into a plurality of degrees of contamination according to the odor concentration and dust concentration in the air.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the judgment on the transition to the low sensitivity mode is different from that in the first embodiment. Further, the amount of ion generation in each sensitivity mode is different. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, in step # 17 of FIG. 7, it is not determined whether the standard sensitivity mode is set, but, for example, it is determined whether it is a midnight / early morning time zone from 11 pm to 5 am Is done. If it is the midnight early morning time zone, the process proceeds to step # 20, and if it is not the late night early morning time period, the process proceeds to step # 19.

  Thereby, since it shifts to the low sensitivity mode during the midnight and early morning hours when there is a high possibility that the user is sleeping, it is possible to further reduce discomfort caused by noise and air blowing to the user.

  In the high sensitivity mode of Step # 18, the standard sensitivity mode of Step # 19, and the low sensitivity mode of Step # 20 in FIG. 7, for example, the number of discharges of the ion generator 17 is 50 times / second, 70 times / second, and Set to 100 times / second.

  Thereby, the ion generation amount in the standard sensitivity mode in step # 19 and the ion generation amount in the low sensitivity mode in step # 20 can be made larger than the ion generation amount in the high sensitivity mode in step # 18. Therefore, when there is a person in the room or at night or the like, the room air can be quickly cleaned while suppressing noise and air blowing to the user. The ion generation amount in the low sensitivity mode may be the same as the ion generation amount in the standard sensitivity mode.

  In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a wind speed sensor is provided. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  A wind speed sensor for detecting the wind speed is provided in the air passage 7 in the vicinity of the suction port 4. In the case of NO at step # 24 in FIG. 7, it is determined by the wind speed sensor whether or not the wind speed in the vicinity of the suction port 4 is lower than a predetermined lower limit speed. When the wind speed is lower than the lower limit speed, the process proceeds to step # 25. When the wind speed is not low, the process proceeds to step # 26 and the operation of the air purifier 1 is finished.

  In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, a wind speed sensor is provided in the air passage 7 in the vicinity of the suction port 4, and the dust removing unit 20 is driven when the wind speed in the vicinity of the suction port 4 is lower than a predetermined lower limit speed. Thereby, the dust on the pre-filter 8 can be removed reliably.

  In the present embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the process proceeds to step # 20 in FIG. 7 when it is a midnight early morning time zone, and the process proceeds to step # 19 in FIG. 7 when it is not a midnight early morning time zone. May be. Further, in the present embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the ion generation amount in the high sensitivity mode in step # 18 in FIG. 7 is larger than that in the standard sensitivity mode in step # 19 in FIG. 7 or step # 20 in FIG. The amount of generated ions in the low sensitivity mode may be increased.

  In the fourth and fifth embodiments, a dust sensor (dirt sensor) may be provided instead of the odor sensor 18 as in the third embodiment, or both the odor sensor 18 and the dust sensor may be provided. Good.

  Moreover, in 3rd Embodiment-5th Embodiment, it may replace with the dust removal part 20 of 1st Embodiment, and may use the dust removal part 20 similar to 2nd Embodiment.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an air cleaner provided with a dust collection unit that collects dust in the air.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air cleaner 2 Case 4 Suction port 6 Operation part 7 Blower passage 11 Blower (1st blower)
12 Blower (second blower)
14 Human body sensor 15 Illuminance sensor 17 Ion generator 18 Smell sensor (dirt sensor)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 Memory | storage part 20 Dust removal part 21 Rotating brush 22 Dust box 23 Guide frame 24 Pinion 30 Notification part 51 Air outlet (1st air outlet)
52 Air outlet (second air outlet)
71 branch road (first branch road)
72 branch road (second branch road)
91 Dust collection filter (first dust collection filter)
92 Dust collection filter (second dust collection filter)

Claims (6)

A chassis installed on the floor;
A suction port opening in the lower peripheral surface of the housing;
A first air outlet and a second air outlet that open on both sides of the upper portion of the housing, and
A first branch passage that extends vertically on one side of the housing and communicates the suction port and the first outlet; and a suction passage that extends vertically on the other side of the housing. A ventilation passage having a second branch passage communicating the mouth and the second outlet;
A dust collecting portion arranged in the air passage and collecting dust in the air;
An air purifier characterized by comprising: A first blower for circulating an air flow in the first branch path;
A second blower for circulating an air flow in the second branch,
The dust collecting portion faces the suction port and collects dust, and the dust collection unit is standing between the suction port and the first blower in the housing and is smaller than the prefilter. A first dust collecting filter that collects dust, and a second dust collecting filter that stands between the suction port in the housing and the second blower and collects dust smaller than the pre-filter,
2. The air cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a dust removing unit that is disposed in a space between the first branch path and the second branch path outside the air passage to remove dust from the prefilter. .   3. The air cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the air intake surfaces of the first dust collection filter and the second dust collection filter are inclined to face each other as they approach the suction port. An illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance in the room and a human body sensor that detects the human body in the room,
A first cleaning mode for driving the dust removing unit when the illuminance in the room is larger than a predetermined start illuminance and no human body is detected, and the dust removing unit is driven when the illuminance in the room is smaller than the start illuminance and no human body is detected. The air cleaner according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a second cleaning mode.   Provided with a dirt sensor for detecting the concentration of odorous components or dust in the air, an illuminance sensor for detecting indoor illuminance, and a human body sensor for detecting the indoor human body, and a plurality of stains according to the concentration of odorous components or dust First sensitivity mode that ranks the degree of contamination with a predetermined boundary value, and increases the rotational speed of the first blower and the second blower than when it is small when the degree of contamination is large, It is possible to set the second sensitivity mode in which the degree of contamination is determined with higher sensitivity than the first sensitivity mode, and the first sensitivity mode is ranked to the same or larger degree of contamination, and the room is set in the first sensitivity mode. 4. The switching to the second sensitivity mode is performed regardless of the setting of the first sensitivity mode when the human body is not detected greater than the predetermined mode switching illuminance. 5. Air-cleaner.   The air cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the dust removing unit is driven when an integrated value of the contamination degree determined every predetermined time exceeds a predetermined value.

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