JP2017180929A - Mist generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mist generator capable of detecting a water level without installing a water level sensor for detecting the water level by a float and the like.SOLUTION: As a water supply lamp 35 is flickered under determination that a water level in a water storage chamber 6 is lowered, when an ON time of a heater 18 is 20 seconds as a prescribed ON time or less in a hot mist operation in which water in the water storage chamber 6 is heated to distribute warm mist from a blowing port 2, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined without additionally installing a water level sensor for detecting the water level by a float and the like, thus the water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined with simple control, a structure of the water storage chamber 6 is not complicated, and maintenance and cleaning of an apparatus body 1 are simplified, so that the usability for a user is improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a mist generator that blows humid air toward a room or a face.

  Conventionally, in this type, when there is an instruction to start the operation of blowing humidified air into the room, the drive motor is driven to drive the rotating body and the blower fan, and the water in the water storage chamber is pumped up by the rotating body. There is a mist generating device that is pulverized by being splashed around and colliding with water and colliding with water, generating humidified air containing mist around the water storage chamber, and blowing air from the air outlet to the room by the blower fan. Changing the mode with the upper switch starts warm mist operation that releases warm mist, switches the heater ON / OFF state so that the water storage temperature in the water storage chamber reaches the target temperature, and supplies humidified air containing warm mist. Install a water level sensor that detects the water level by moving the float up and down in a constant water level chamber that allows ventilation and is connected to the water storage tank and has the same water surface height. Position if it is determined that the water level constant head chamber is lower by a sensor, the drive motor by switching the heater to the OFF state to stop the operation by stopping had been informed that the water supply is required. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP 2013-2699 A

However, with this conventional device, the water level sensor installed in the constant water level chamber is designed to detect the water level when the float moves up and down, so if dust or debris adheres to the float, the water level sensor can move up and down smoothly. Since the water level sensor has a complicated structure even if the user tries to clean dirt such as dust and dirt adhering to the float, it is difficult to clean regularly.
In addition, since a space where a float sensor can be installed in the constant water level room is required, downsizing of the instrument body is hindered, and there is room for improvement.

In order to solve the above-described problems, in claim 1 of the present invention, an instrument main body, a water storage chamber installed in the instrument main body for storing water, a rotating body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, and the rotation A collision body that is formed integrally with the body and crushes the pumped water, a drive motor that pivotally supports a drive shaft that is pivotally attached to the rotary body, and a collision motor that is installed in the drive motor and is generated by the collision body A blower fan that blows humidified air containing mist, a heater that is installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber to heat water, and a temperature that is installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber away from the heater and detects the water storage temperature A sensor,
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The controller counts an ON time which is a time from when the heater is switched to an ON state during the warm mist operation until the heater is switched to an OFF state, and if the counted ON time is equal to or less than a predetermined ON time The water level in the water storage chamber is judged to be lowered.

Further, in claim 2, a device main body, a water storage chamber installed in the device main body for storing water, a rotary body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, and water pumped up integrally formed with the rotary body An impingement body for crushing, a drive motor that is rotatably supported on a drive shaft that is attached to the rotating body, and an air blower that supplies humidified air including mist that is installed in the drive motor and generated by the impingement body A fan, a heater installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber to heat the water, a temperature sensor installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber away from the heater, and a temperature sensor for detecting the water storage temperature;
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The control unit counts the number of times the heater is turned on / off in a predetermined count time during the warm mist operation, and the number of times the heater is turned on / off in the predetermined count time is predetermined. If it is more than the number of times, it is judged that the water level in the water storage chamber is lowered.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a device main body, a water storage chamber installed in the device main body for storing water, a rotary body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, and water pumped up integrally formed with the rotary body. An impingement body for crushing, a drive motor that is rotatably supported on a drive shaft that is attached to the rotating body, and an air blower that supplies humidified air including mist that is installed in the drive motor and generated by the impingement body A fan, a heater that adheres to the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber and heats the water, a temperature sensor that adheres to the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber that is a predetermined distance away from the heater, and detects the water storage temperature;
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The control unit includes an elapsed time from a time when the heater is switched to an ON state to a time when the heater is switched to an OFF state during the warm mist operation, and a time when the heater is switched from an ON state to an OFF state. If the temperature rise gradient value calculated from the change width of the stored water temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber has decreased.

  Moreover, in Claim 4, if the said control part judges that the water level in the said water storage chamber has fallen, it will alert | report that the water level in the said water storage chamber has fallen by the alerting | reporting means installed in the said instrument main body. It was characterized by that.

  Moreover, in Claim 5, after the said control part judges that the water level of the said water storage chamber has fallen, it is time until it switches to an ON state after the said heater switches to an OFF state at the time of the said warm mist driving | operation. When a certain OFF time is equal to or longer than a predetermined OFF time, it is determined that water has disappeared in the water storage chamber.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, when the control unit determines that the water in the water storage chamber has run out, the control means notifies that the water in the water storage chamber has run out, and terminates the warm mist operation. Features.

  According to the present invention, when the water level in the water storage chamber decreases during the warm mist operation, the heat capacity decreases and the temperature rise speed of the water increases, so the time until the water heater reaches the predetermined high temperature after the heater is switched on is kept in the water storage chamber. Since it is shorter than when the water is full, the ON time, which is the time when the heater is switched to the ON state during the warm mist operation, is counted, and the counted ON time is less than the predetermined ON time. For example, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber has dropped, so there is no need to install a water level sensor in the water storage chamber, making it easier to downsize the instrument body and eliminating the need for cleaning and maintenance of the water level sensor. Yes, it improves usability.

  Also, if the water level in the water storage chamber decreases during the warm mist operation, the heat capacity decreases and the water temperature rises faster, so the time to reach a predetermined high temperature after the heater is switched on is when the water storage chamber is full. Since the wall temperature decreases due to the latent heat of water droplets adhering to the wall surface of the water storage chamber and the heater heater is turned on / off more frequently, the heater heater is turned on at a predetermined count time during the warm mist operation. Since the ON / OFF state switching count is counted, and if the heater heater ON / OFF switching count for the predetermined count time is greater than or equal to the predetermined count, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber has decreased. Since there is no need to install a water level sensor in the room, it is easy to downsize the instrument body, and the water level sensor can be easily cleaned and maintained. It can be omitted, thereby improving the usability.

  Also, if the water level in the water storage chamber decreases during the warm mist operation, the heat capacity decreases and the water temperature rises faster, so the time until the water heater reaches the predetermined high temperature after the heater is switched on is If the temperature rise rate per elapsed time of the water heated by the heater is increased and the calculated temperature rise gradient value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the water level in the reservoir is lowered. Therefore, the elapsed time from the time when the heater is switched to the ON state to the time when the heater is switched to the OFF state during the temperature mist operation, and the range of change in the stored water temperature from the time when the heater is switched to the ON state until the time when the heater is switched to the OFF state If the temperature rise gradient value calculated in step 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber has dropped, so it is necessary to install a water level sensor in the water storage chamber. To facilitate miniaturization of the instrument body because Kunar, it is possible to save the trouble of cleaning and maintenance of the water level sensor, thereby enhancing usability.

  Also, if it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber is low, the notification means installed in the appliance body notifies the water level in the water storage chamber to be low. The user can easily determine that there is little remaining time for which driving can be continued.

  In addition, when there is no water in the water storage chamber, there are no water droplets on the wall surface of the water storage chamber, so there is no influence of latent heat, and the temperature drop of the water storage chamber when the heater is turned off is moderate compared to when there is water storage in the water storage chamber. Since the time until the temperature sensor detects the predetermined low temperature is longer than when there is water storage, the heater is switched to the OFF state after determining that the water level in the water storage chamber has dropped. Since it can be determined that the water has disappeared from the water storage chamber when the OFF time, which is the time from when it is switched to the ON state, exceeds the predetermined OFF time, it is not necessary to install a water level sensor in the water storage chamber. This makes it easy to reduce the size of the water level sensor, eliminates the need for cleaning and maintenance of the water level sensor, and improves usability.

  In addition, when it is determined that the water in the reservoir has run out, the notification means notifies the user that the water in the reservoir has run out, and also terminates the warm mist operation. Usability is improved because it is possible to notify that replenishment is necessary.

Sectional drawing which shows the mist generator of 1st Embodiment of this invention AA sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention Control block diagram of the first embodiment of the invention The figure explaining the operation part of 1st Embodiment of the invention The flowchart explaining the control at the time of the warm mist driving | operation of 1st Embodiment of the invention. The flowchart explaining control at the time of the warm mist driving | operation of 2nd Embodiment of the invention. The flowchart explaining the control at the time of the warm mist driving | operation of 3rd Embodiment of the invention. The flowchart explaining the control which judges the presence or absence of the water in the water storage chamber of the same invention The figure explaining another embodiment of the invention

Next, the mist generator in 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated based on figures.
1 is an instrument main body of a mist generating device that humidifies the room, 2 is a blower opening formed on the upper surface of the instrument main body 1 from which humidified air is blown, and 3 is installed at the upper part of the blower opening 2 to change the wind direction of the humidified air. A louver 4 is a handle formed on the upper part of the instrument body 1 so that a user can hold it by hand and 5 is an intake port formed on the back of the instrument body 1 for sucking in ambient air.

  6 is a water storage chamber that is installed in the instrument body 1 and is made of stainless steel that can store a predetermined amount of water and has thermal conductivity, 7 is a treatment chamber formed in the upper part of the water storage chamber 6, and 8 is the treatment chamber. A rotating part 8a that is installed in the upper part of the chamber 7 and is driven to rotate, a fixing part 8b that is fixed adjacent to the rotating part 8a, and a rotating part 8a that is installed between the fixing part 8b and the rotating part 8a. A drive motor as an outer rotor motor constituted by a ball bearing 8c to be enabled, and a rotation portion 8a of the drive motor 8 is extended downward and pivotally supported so as to be rotatable, and a drive The upper end surface 10 is located on the upper side of the motor 8 and rotates together with the drive shaft 9.

  Further, 11 is a blower fan that is connected to the upper end surface 10 of the drive motor 8 and rotates by the drive of the drive motor 8 to flow air, 12 is a substantially hollow inverted conical rotator that is attached to the drive shaft 9, 13 is an elongated hole-shaped opening formed on the outer periphery of the rotating body 12 at a predetermined interval, and 14 is installed on the outer periphery of the rotating body 12 and rotates together with the rotating body 12. It is a porous part as a colliding body made of a slit, a wire mesh, a punching metal or the like.

  Thus, since the drive motor 8 is constituted by the outer rotor motor in which the drive shaft 9 and the upper end surface 10 are rotatable, it is necessary to axially mount the blower fan 11 and the rotating body 12 on the drive shaft 9. Since the drive shaft 9 does not become long due to the absence of vibration, an increase in vibration and sound generated from the drive shaft 9 can be prevented.

  Water in the water storage chamber 6 is sucked up by centrifugal force generated by driving the drive motor 8 and rotating the rotating body 12, and air is scattered along with water droplets from the opening 13. When the water particles are crushed and collide with the wall surface of the water storage chamber 6, the water particles are refined to generate nanometer (nm) mist, and a large amount of negative ions are produced by the Leonard effect of the water particles. Occur.

  A water supply tank 15 can be installed in a tank installation unit 16 installed in the upper part of the processing chamber 7. When the water supply tank 15 is installed at a predetermined position of the tank installation unit 16, a water supply valve installed in the tank installation unit 16 17 opens a valve of a cap (not shown) inserted at the tip of the water supply tank 15, and water in the water supply tank 15 is guided to the water storage chamber 6 along the wall surface of the processing chamber 7.

  Reference numeral 18 denotes a heater that is installed on the bottom surface that is the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber 6 and heats the water in the water storage chamber 6, and 19 is a water reservoir chamber that is installed on the side wall surface that is the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber 6 away from the heater 18. 6 is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of water in the heater 6. The heater 18 is switched between ON and OFF states so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is within a predetermined range around the target water temperature.

  Reference numeral 20 denotes an air flow path formed in the instrument main body 1 so that air can flow from the intake port 5 to the blower port 2, and the air flow channel 20 extends from the intake port 5 to the place where the blower fan 11 is installed. A first air flow path 21 to be formed, a second air flow path 22 to form from the installation location of the blower fan 11 to the processing chamber 7, and a third air flow path 23 to form from the processing chamber 7 to the blower opening 2 It consists of

  24 is a partition space which is located on the second air flow path 22 and is formed by the upper partition wall 25 and the lower partition wall 26 so as to surround the lower side of the drive motor 8 and the blower fan 11; A through hole 27 is formed in the upper partition wall 25 so that a gap of a predetermined distance is formed between the blower fan 11 and the blower fan 11 passes therethrough. A shaft hole 28 through which the drive shaft 9 is inserted is formed in the lower partition wall 26. Is formed.

  In addition, the ratio of the blower fan 11 that is divided and located in the second air flow path 22 and the partition space 24 with the through hole 27 as a boundary is the amount of air blown into the second air flow path 22 and the air blow into the partition space 24. The static pressure is set so that the amount of humidified air blown from the blower port 2 does not decrease and the humidified air does not flow backward from the processing chamber 7 through the shaft hole 28. Within the range that can be maintained, the position of the blower fan 11 in the vertical vertical direction is changed to adjust the ratio of the blower fan 11 located in the partition space 24.

  Further, when the diameter of the through hole 27 is larger than the diameter of the shaft hole 28, when the drive motor 8 is driven and the air flow toward the processing chamber 7 is generated in the air flow path 20 by the blower fan 11. Since a predetermined amount of air flows from the through hole 27 toward the inside of the compartment space 24 and the static pressure inside the compartment space 24 can be increased, the humidified air generated in the water storage chamber 6 is transferred from the treatment chamber 7 to the shaft. It is possible to prevent the drive motor 8 and the blower fan 11 from coming into contact with the humidified air and causing the accumulation of chalk without backflowing into the partition space 24 through the hole 28.

  Reference numeral 29 denotes an operation unit provided on the front surface of the instrument body 1 and provided with a plurality of buttons. The operation unit 29 drives the drive motor 8 to rotationally drive the blower fan 11 and the rotator 12 so that the interior of the room is An operation button 30 for starting a mist operation for blowing humidified air containing mist, an air volume button 31 for switching an air volume mode for changing the air volume from the air outlet 2 by changing the rotational speed of the drive motor 8, and During the mist operation, the water in the water storage chamber 6 heated by the heater 18 is sucked up by the rotating body 12 and pulverized by the porous portion 14 and blown by the blower fan 11 to blow humidified air at about 40 ° C. A warm mist button 32 that starts a warm mist operation that allows you to perform facial bathing by blowing air from the mouth 2, and mist luck after one or two hours have passed since the button operation And a timer button 33 for stopping the water supply. When each button is operated, a predetermined lamp installed at the top of each button is turned on. The lamp 35 is flashed for notification.

  Reference numeral 34 denotes a control unit composed of a microcomputer which receives an input signal from the operation unit 29, a detection signal from the temperature sensor 19 and the like, and controls the operation of the heater 18 and the drive motor 8, and performs various operations in the mist generator. Control the state.

  In the warm mist operation, the temperature of the water in the water storage chamber 6 is held by the heater 18 at around the target temperature of 70 ° C. Therefore, the controller 34 turns on the heater 18 when the warm mist operation is started. The temperature of the water in the water storage chamber 6 is raised in the state, and when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature of 72 ° C., the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state to stop heating, When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 falls below a predetermined low temperature of 68 ° C., the heater 18 is switched to the ON state again and the operation of raising the water temperature in the water storage chamber 6 is repeated. By switching the ON / OFF state of the heater 18 so that a differential of ± 2 ° C. is maintained with respect to a certain 70 ° C., warm humid air of about 40 ° C. is blown from the air outlet 2. User the proper facial bath is set to be possible.

Next, control during the warm mist operation of the first embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the operation button 30 provided on the operation unit 29 is operated to start a normal mist operation and then the temperature mist button 32 is operated to start the temperature mist operation, the control unit 34 causes the heater 18 to operate. Is turned ON to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 (step S101), and it is determined whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 72 ° C. or higher (step S102). If the temperature is higher than or equal to ° C, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state (step S103), and if the detected water storage temperature is lower than 72 ° C, the determination in step S102 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state in step S103, the control unit 34 determines whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 68 ° C. or less (step S104), and the detected water storage temperature is 68 ° C. If it is below, the heater 18 is switched to the ON state to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 again, and the counting of the ON time is started when the heater 18 is switched to the ON state (step S105). If the detected water storage temperature exceeds 68 ° C., the determination in step S104 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the ON state in step S105 and counting of the ON time is started, the control unit 34 determines whether the stored water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 72 ° C. or higher (step S106). If the stored water temperature is less than 72 ° C, step S106 is repeated, and if the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C or higher, the ON time of the heater 18 that has been counted is less than 20 seconds, which is the predetermined ON time. If the heater 18 is turned on for 20 seconds or less (step S107), the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is lowered by a predetermined amount from the time when it is full, and the heat capacity of the stored water is reduced. Assuming that the rising time has become shorter, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state and the water supply lamp 35 is blinked to notify that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 has dropped. (Step S108), if beyond 20 seconds ON time of the heater 18, as there is sufficient water in the reservoir chamber 6, switches the heater 18 in the OFF state in step S103 and repeats the steps.

  As described above, during the warm mist operation in which the water in the water storage chamber 6 is heated and the warm mist is blown from the air outlet 2, if the ON time of the heater 18 is 20 seconds or less which is a predetermined ON time, Since the water supply lamp 35 blinks on the assumption that the water level in the chamber 6 is lowered, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined without separately installing a water level sensor for detecting the water level with a float or the like. The water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined by the control, and the maintenance and cleaning of the instrument main body 1 are facilitated by preventing the structure of the water storage chamber 6 from becoming complicated, thereby improving the usability of the user. .

Next, the control during the warm mist operation in the second embodiment having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the operation button 30 provided on the operation unit 29 is operated to start a normal mist operation and then the temperature mist button 32 is operated to start the temperature mist operation, the control unit 34 causes the heater 18 to operate. Is turned ON to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 and start counting elapsed time (step S201), and determine whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 has become 72 ° C. or higher (step S202). ) If the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. or higher, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state (step S203). If the detected water storage temperature is lower than 72 ° C., the determination in step S202 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state in step S203, the control unit 34 determines whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 68 ° C. or less (step S204), and the detected water storage temperature is 68 ° C. If it is below, the heater 18 is turned on to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 again (step S205), and if the detected water storage temperature exceeds 68 ° C., the determination in step S204 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the ON state in step S205, the control unit 34 determines whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 72 ° C or higher (step S206), and the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. If it is less than step S206, repeat the step S206, and if the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. or higher, in the past 5 minutes of the predetermined count time between the time point 5 minutes before the current count time and the present time. The number of times the heater 18 is turned on is calculated (step S207).

  After calculating the number of times the heater 18 has been turned on in the past 5 minutes in step S207, the control unit 34 determines whether the calculated number is 10 times or more, which is a predetermined number (step S208). Is 10 times or more, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is lowered by a predetermined amount from the time when the water is full, and the heat capacity is reduced, so that the rate of temperature rise to 72 ° C. is increased and the water level is attached to the wall surface of the water storage chamber 6. Since the rate at which the temperature is lowered due to the latent heat of the moisture is increased, the heater 18 is frequently switched ON / OFF repeatedly, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state, and the water supply lamp 35 blinks to store the reservoir. If the water level in 6 is informed (Step S209) and it is determined that the calculated number of times is less than 10, then there is a sufficient amount of water in the water storage chamber 6. Rutoshite switches the heater 18 in the OFF state in step S203 and repeats the steps.

  As described above, at the time of the warm mist operation in which the water in the water storage chamber 6 is heated and the warm mist is blown from the air blowing port 2, the number of times the heater 18 is turned on in the past 5 minutes is a predetermined number of times or more. Since the water supply lamp 35 blinks on the assumption that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is low, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined without installing a water level sensor for detecting the water level with a float or the like. It is possible to judge the water level in the water storage chamber 6 with simple control, preventing the structure of the water storage chamber 6 from becoming complicated and facilitating the maintenance and cleaning of the instrument body 1, thereby improving the user-friendliness. To do.

Next, the control during the warm mist operation in the third embodiment having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the operation button 30 provided on the operation unit 29 is operated to start a normal mist operation and then the temperature mist button 32 is operated to start the temperature mist operation, the control unit 34 causes the heater 18 to operate. Is turned ON to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 and start counting the elapsed time (step S301), and determine whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 72 ° C. or higher (step S302). ) If the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. or higher, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state (step S303), and if the detected water storage temperature is lower than 72 ° C., the determination in step S302 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state in step S303, the control unit 34 determines whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 68 ° C. or less (step S304), and the detected water storage temperature is 68 ° C. If it is below, the heater 18 is switched to the ON state to heat the water in the water storage chamber 6 again (step S305). If the detected water storage temperature exceeds 68 ° C., the determination in step S304 is repeated.

  When the heater 18 is switched to the ON state in step S305, the control unit 34 determines whether the water storage temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 72 ° C. or higher (step S306), and the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. If it is less than step S306, step S306 is repeated, and if the detected water storage temperature is 72 ° C. or higher, a change that is a temperature difference from the temperature at which the heater 18 is turned on in step S305 to the current temperature. A temperature increase gradient value calculated by dividing the amount by the elapsed time from step S305 to the present is obtained (step S307).

  After calculating the temperature increase gradient value in step S307, the control unit 34 determines whether the calculated temperature increase gradient value is equal to or greater than 0.2 which is a predetermined value (step S308). If it is 2 or more, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is lowered by a predetermined amount from the time when the water is full and the heat capacity is reduced, so that the temperature rises to 72 ° C. and the heater 18 is switched to the ON state. Assuming that the temperature rise gradient value reaching 72 ° C. has increased, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state, the water supply lamp 35 is blinked to notify that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 has dropped (step S309), and the calculation is performed. If it is determined that the temperature increase gradient value is less than 0.2, it is determined that there is a sufficient amount of water in the water storage chamber 6, and the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state again in step S303. Repeating the step.

  As described above, if the temperature rise gradient value is 0.2 or more when the heater 18 is in the ON state during the warm mist operation in which the water in the water storage chamber 6 is heated and the warm mist is blown from the blower opening 2. Since the water supply lamp 35 blinks on the assumption that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is low, the water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined without installing a water level sensor for detecting the water level with a float or the like. It is possible to judge the water level in the water storage chamber 6 with simple control, preventing the structure of the water storage chamber 6 from becoming complicated and facilitating the maintenance and cleaning of the instrument body 1, thereby improving the user-friendliness. To do.

Next, the control after the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state and the water supply lamp 35 blinks on the assumption that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 has decreased in Step S108, Step S209, and Step S309 is shown in FIG. It demonstrates based on the flowchart of these.
When the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state in step S108, step S209, and step S309 and the water supply lamp 35 blinks, the control unit 34 determines whether the stored water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 19 is 68 ° C. or less. If the detected water storage temperature exceeds 68 ° C., the determination in step S401 is repeated. If the detected water storage temperature is 68 ° C. or lower, the heater 18 is turned off for a predetermined OFF time. 2 minutes 30 seconds or more is determined (step S402), and if the heater 18 OFF time is 2 minutes 30 seconds or more, the latent heat of water is due to the absence of water droplets on the inner wall surface of the water storage chamber 6. The temperature decreases at a slower rate than when water exists in the water storage chamber 6, and the water in the water storage chamber 6 is sucked by the rotating body 12. Since it is determined that the water has run out, the drive motor 8 is stopped, the heater 18 is switched to the OFF state, the water supply lamp 35 is turned on, and there is no water in the water storage chamber 6 and water supply is required. It is notified (step S403).

  Further, if the heater 18 is OFF for less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds in step S402, the controller 34 determines that the water mist still remains in the water storage chamber 6 and that the warm mist operation is possible. Returning to each of the step S105, the step S205, and the step S305 for each of the embodiments, the heater 18 is switched to the ON state, and the warm mist operation is continued.

  As described above, after the water supply lamp 35 is blinked to notify that the water level of the water storage chamber 6 is low, the presence or absence of water in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined based on the OFF time of the heater 18. The presence or absence of water can be determined without installing a water level sensor that detects the water level, etc., so that the water storage chamber 6 can be reduced in size, and when it is determined that there is no water in the water storage chamber 6, the warm mist operation is terminated. Since the water supply lamp 35 is turned on to notify that water supply is necessary, the user can easily determine that the water supply is necessary, and the usability is improved.

  In addition, since the heater 18 and the temperature sensor 19 are installed separately on the bottom surface and the side wall surface of the water storage chamber 6, the temperature is detected on the same material surface, and a value greatly deviating from the actual water storage temperature is obtained. Detection is prevented, and it is possible to reliably and easily detect the level of the stored water temperature over time, the number of times the heater 18 is turned on for a predetermined time, and the water level based on the rate of temperature rise when the heater 18 is in the ON state. ing.

  In the first to third embodiments, the mist generating device having a structure that allows the humidification operation by allowing the water in the water supply tank 15 to flow into the water storage chamber 6 has been described. As shown in another embodiment, a water supply pipe and a drain pipe are connected to the side wall of the water storage chamber 6, and the electromagnetic valve is opened and closed according to the water level of the water storage chamber 6 to determine whether or not water supply is performed, or the humidification operation is finished It may be a mist generating device capable of automatically draining the water in the water storage chamber 6 out of the instrument body 1 through the drain pipe, and the heater 18 is bonded to the bottom surface of the water storage chamber 6, Further, due to the configuration in which the temperature sensor 19 is adhered to the side wall surface of the water storage chamber 6, the heat capacity of the water depends on the water level in the water storage chamber 6 during the warm mist operation in which the temperature of the water in the water storage chamber 6 is increased and warm humid air is blown. By changing, the heater 18 is in the ON state time and ON times in the constant time, and it is possible to determine the water level in the reservoir chamber 6 by the temperature rise rate during the ON state.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, the water level is determined based only on the detection value of the temperature sensor 19 that detects the temperature in the water storage chamber 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the appliance main body 1 is installed near the intake port 5. A temperature / humidity sensor that detects the temperature and humidity in the room is installed, and the ON time of the heater 18 that determines that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is low according to the temperature and humidity of the air sucked into the appliance body 1 is predetermined. The water level in the water storage chamber 6 can be determined more accurately by changing the number of times of being turned ON in time or changing the threshold value of the temperature increase gradient value to a threshold value that matches the room condition.

  Further, the ON time of the heater 18 for determining that the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is low, the number of times the heater 18 is turned ON during a predetermined time, or the temperature rise gradient value are the capacity of the water storage chamber 6, the heat input amount of the heater 18, and the driving Since it varies depending on the performance of the motor 8 and the like, it takes into account each element when setting the initial microcomputer, and the heater 18 that can detect whether the water level in the water storage chamber 6 is low or no water is in the predetermined time. By setting the value so as to be the number of times of the ON state or the temperature increase gradient value, it is possible to reliably detect that the inside of the water storage chamber 6 is at a low water level or that there is no water.

  Further, other configurations used in the present embodiment are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and can be implemented in various other forms. Various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Appliance main body 6 Water storage chamber 8 Drive motor 11 Blower fan 12 Rotor 14 Porous part 18 Heater 19 Temperature sensor 34 Control part 35 Water supply lamp (notification means)

Claims (6)

A device body, a water storage chamber installed in the device body for storing water, a rotating body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, a collision body formed integrally with the rotating body and crushing the pumped water, A drive motor that pivotally supports a drive shaft that is pivotally attached to the rotating body, a blower fan that blows humidified air including mist that is installed on the drive motor and is generated by the collision body, and the water storage chamber A heater installed on the outer peripheral wall surface for heating water, a temperature sensor installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber away from the heater, and detecting the water storage temperature;
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The controller counts an ON time which is a time from when the heater is switched to an ON state during the warm mist operation until the heater is switched to an OFF state, and if the counted ON time is equal to or less than a predetermined ON time The mist generating apparatus characterized by determining that the water level in the water storage chamber is lowered. A device body, a water storage chamber installed in the device body for storing water, a rotating body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, a collision body formed integrally with the rotating body and crushing the pumped water, A drive motor that pivotally supports a drive shaft that is pivotally attached to the rotating body, a blower fan that blows humidified air including mist that is installed on the drive motor and is generated by the collision body, and the water storage chamber A heater installed on the outer peripheral wall surface for heating water, a temperature sensor installed on the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber away from the heater, and detecting the water storage temperature;
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The control unit counts the number of times the heater is turned on / off in a predetermined count time during the warm mist operation, and the number of times the heater is turned on / off in the predetermined count time is predetermined. If it is more than the number of times, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber is lowered. A device body, a water storage chamber installed in the device body for storing water, a rotating body installed in the water storage chamber for pumping water, a collision body formed integrally with the rotating body and crushing the pumped water, A drive motor that pivotally supports a drive shaft that is pivotally attached to the rotating body, a blower fan that blows humidified air including mist that is installed on the drive motor and is generated by the collision body, and the water storage chamber A heater that adheres to the outer peripheral wall surface and heats the water; a temperature sensor that adheres to the outer peripheral wall surface of the water storage chamber separated from the heater by a predetermined distance;
If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature, the heater is turned off. If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature, the heater is turned on. Control for carrying out a warm mist operation for holding humidified air containing warm mist generated in the water storage chamber by the blower fan by holding the water in the water storage chamber near the target temperature by switching and driving the drive motor With
The control unit includes an elapsed time from a time when the heater is switched to an ON state to a time when the heater is switched to an OFF state during the warm mist operation, and a time when the heater is switched from an ON state to an OFF state. If the temperature rise gradient value calculated by the change width of the stored water temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the water level in the water storage chamber is decreasing.   The said control part will alert | report that the water level in the said water storage chamber is falling with the alerting | reporting means installed in the said instrument main body, if it judges that the water level in the said water storage chamber is falling. The mist generator according to any one of 1 to 3.   After the controller determines that the water level in the water storage chamber has dropped, the OFF time, which is the time from when the heater is switched to the OFF state during the warm mist operation until the switch is switched to the ON state, is a predetermined OFF time. The mist generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when it becomes more than time, it is determined that water has run out of the water storage chamber.   6. The control unit according to claim 5, wherein when the control unit determines that the water in the water storage chamber has run out, the control unit notifies the water in the water storage chamber to run out, and terminates the warm mist operation. The mist generator as described.

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