JP2019124383A - Steam type humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a steam type humidifier that is easily cleaned for scale removal.SOLUTION: The inside of a humidifier 1 is separated into an upper chamber 10A and a lower chamber 10B by a separation wall 103. On the lower surface side of the separation wall 103, an IH coil 11 is disposed. On the upper surface side of the separation wall 103, an evaporation dish 13 made of a magnetic material, into which water to be heated is put, is disposed. Thus, the evaporation dish 13 itself serves as a heating element and is capable of heating the water in the evaporation dish 13 by IH (Induction Heating). The evaporation dish 13 is detachable to the humidifier 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam humidifier that heats water to generate steam.

  The steam type humidifier usually supplies the water of the water supply tank to the evaporation pan, and heats the water supplied to the evaporation pan with a heating means such as a heater to generate water vapor. In such a steam type humidifier, the impurities (calcium and magnesium) contained in water adhere to the evaporation dish as scales. For this reason, the evaporating dish needs to be cleaned to remove the attached scale.

  However, in the conventional steam type humidifier, in order to arrange the evaporating dish in contact with the heater which is the heating means, the evaporating dish was integrally attached to the humidifier body. For this reason, it is not possible to remove only the evaporating dish from the humidifier for cleaning, and there is a problem that the cleaning for removing the scale becomes complicated for the user.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for facilitating cleaning for removing scale. The humidifier disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a heating tank for heating water supplied from a water supply tank, and an electromagnetic induction coil is disposed outside the heating tank, and is made of a magnetic material inside the heating tank. The heating element is arranged. That is, in the humidifier of Patent Document 1, the water in the heating tank is heated by IH (Induction Heating), so that the scale mainly adheres to the heating element which becomes high temperature. In addition, the heating element can be attached to and detached from the humidifier main body so that the heating element to which the scale is attached can be easily washed.

JP 2000-346409 A

  However, even in the configuration of the humidifier of Patent Document 1, the bottom portion of the heating tank having the function of the evaporation pan is formed integrally with the humidifier main body. And, even if the scale adheres mainly to the heating element, the scale can not be completely prevented from adhering to the inside of the heating tank. Also, the scale deposited on the surface of the heating element may peel off and be accumulated at the bottom of the heating tank. For this reason, cleaning of the heating tank is necessary for scale removal, and removal of the heating tank can not be performed, so the problem that cleaning for scale removal becomes complicated for the user can not be completely solved.

  Further, in the configuration of the humidifier of Patent Document 1, the distance between the electromagnetic induction coil disposed outside the heating tank and the heating element disposed inside the heating tank is increased, and the heating efficiency by IH is reduced. There is also a problem.

  This invention is made in view of the said subject, and it aims at providing the steam type humidifier with which the washing | cleaning for scale removal becomes easy.

  In order to solve the above problems, a steam humidifier according to the present invention is a steam humidifier that heats water to generate steam, and is formed of an IH coil and a magnetic material, and is heated And an evaporation dish for storing the evaporation dish, the evaporation dish being attachable to and detachable from the steam humidifier.

  According to the above configuration, the evaporating dish itself can be a heating element, and the water in the evaporating dish can be heated by IH (Induction Heating). Thus, by using IH as the heating means, the evaporation pan can be made attachable to and detachable from the steam humidifier while maintaining high heating efficiency by bringing the IH coil and the evaporation pan close to each other. In addition, all impurities contained in water adhere to the evaporating dish in scale. Since the evaporating dish can be separated from the steam type humidifier, washing for removing the scale is facilitated by washing the evaporating dish with water or by soaking in water.

  Further, the steam type humidifier has a blower fan inside a casing of the steam type humidifier, and the blower fan cools the IH coil and water vapor released from the steam type humidifier. It can be set as the structure used for both a temperature fall.

  According to the above configuration, one blower fan can be used both for cooling the IH coil and for lowering the temperature of the water vapor, and it is possible to prevent a cost increase due to an increase in the number of fans.

  In addition, the steam type humidifier includes an ion generator for generating ions, and the air blowing by the air blowing fan can be used also for discharging the ions generated by the ion generator. .

  According to the above configuration, by using the same blower fan also for discharging ions generated by the ion generator, it is possible to prevent a cost increase due to an increase in the number of fans. In addition, when performing ion discharge, a certain amount of air volume is required to obtain a good ion diffusion effect, and a cold air sensation may occur due to the increase of air volume, but the air blowing by the air blowing fan is the exhaust heat from the IH coil. And so on, it is possible to reduce the feeling of cold wind due to the increase of the air volume.

  The steam type humidifier is attachable to and detachable from the steam type humidifier, and includes a water supply tank for supplying water to the evaporation plate, and the water supply tank is attached to the steam type humidifier. When done, the water supply tank may be positioned above the evaporation pan.

  According to the above configuration, by supplying water to the evaporation dish from the water supply tank located above the evaporation dish, the water supply path is separately provided at a position which is outward from the outer edge of the evaporation dish between the water supply tank and the evaporation dish. It does not need to be provided. For this reason, even if the evaporating dish is configured to be removable from the humidifier, water leakage does not occur in a water supply path or the like provided on the outer side of the evaporating dish, and water leakage can be prevented with a simple configuration. Further, by positioning the water supply tank above the evaporation pan, it is also advantageous to miniaturize the humidifier steam system (to reduce the area).

  Further, in the steam type humidifier, the water supply tank is composed of a tank main body and a tank cap, and when the water supply tank is mounted on the steam type humidifier, the tank with the tank cap facing downward is the tank. The cap may be completely stored inside the case of the steam humidifier, and the tank cap may have a pipe portion whose diameter is smaller than that of the tank body at its tip. it can.

  According to the above configuration, in the internal space of the steam humidifier, the upper side of the evaporation dish is a part of the air flow path, but the water supply tank is positioned above the evaporation dish by providing a small diameter pipe portion. It is possible to prevent the water supply tank from obstructing the flow of air. As a result, the generated water vapor can be efficiently discharged, and the amount of humidification can be increased by preventing internal condensation.

  In addition, during operation of the steam humidifier, the end of the water supply tank is immersed in the hot water heated by the evaporation pan, but by making the end of the water supply tank immersed in the hot water a thin tube The contact surface with the hot water can be minimized. Thereby, energy loss due to heat conduction from the hot water to the water supply tank can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the water supply tank is removed from the humidifier, the tip of the water supply tank immersed in the hot water can be easily cooled.

  Further, in the steam type humidifier, the water supply tank may be provided with a check valve for preventing hot water of the evaporation plate from flowing into the water supply tank.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent energy loss due to the hot water of the evaporating dish flowing into the water supply tank by convection. Further, by preventing the flow of hot water into the water supply tank, the temperature rise of the water supply tank can also be prevented.

  The steam humidifier according to the present invention uses the IH as the heating means to bring the IH coil and the evaporating dish (heating element) close to each other to ensure high heating efficiency, while maintaining the evaporating dish against the steam humidifier. Can be removable. As a result, the evaporating dish to which the scale adheres is separated from the steam type humidifier, and the evaporating dish is washed by immersing in a bowl or by soaking in water, so that washing for removing the scale is facilitated.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of this invention and shows schematic structure of a humidifier. It is an exploded view of the water supply tank used for the humidifier of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view showing the structure which provided the nonreturn valve in the feed tank.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a schematic configuration of the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment. The humidifier 1 is a steam type humidifier that heats water to generate water vapor, and roughly, the housing 10, the IH coil 11, the blower fan 12, the evaporation dish 13, the water supply tank 14, and the control unit 15 It is configured to be equipped.

  The housing 10 is composed of an upper housing member 101 and a lower housing member 102, which are separable from each other, and the combination of these components constitutes the appearance of the humidifier 1. The interior of the housing 10 is separated by a separation wall 103 into an upper chamber 10A and a lower chamber 10B. The separation wall 103 is also a top plate of the lower housing member 102. However, the separation wall 103 does not completely separate the upper chamber 10A and the lower chamber 10B, and a part of the separation wall 103 is provided with a communication port 104 for communicating the upper chamber 10A with the lower chamber 10B. . Further, the communication port 104 is provided in the vicinity of one end of the separation wall 103.

  In the lower chamber 10B, a suction port 105 is provided at an end substantially opposite to the communication port 104 on the side surface of the lower housing member 102. Thus, an air flow path from the suction port 105 toward the communication port 104 is formed in the internal space of the lower chamber 10B. In the lower chamber 10B, the IH coil 11 and the blower fan 12 are disposed along the air flow path. Specifically, the IH coil 11 is attached and arranged on the top surface portion of the lower chamber 10B (that is, the lower surface side of the separation wall 103) in the vicinity of the center of the separation wall 103. In addition, the blower fan 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the suction port 105, and sends the air taken in from the suction port 105 into the inside of the housing 10 (lower chamber 10B). In addition, about the ventilation structure inside humidifier 1, it demonstrates in detail in Embodiment 2 mentioned later.

  In the upper chamber 10 </ b> A, an air outlet 106 is provided in the upper surface of the upper housing member 101 near the end substantially opposite to the communication port 104. Thus, an air flow path from the communication port 104 toward the outlet 106 is formed in the internal space of the upper chamber 10A. In the upper chamber 10A, the evaporation plate 13 and the water supply tank 14 are disposed. Specifically, the evaporation pan 13 is detachably disposed on the bottom of the upper chamber 10A (that is, on the upper surface side of the separation wall 103) in the vicinity of the center of the separation wall 103. In the humidifier 1, the evaporation plate 13 is formed of a magnetic material (for example, iron or stainless steel). Although not shown in FIG. 1, the humidifier 1 is provided with positioning means for positioning and fixing the evaporating dish 13 at a predetermined position when the evaporating dish 13 is mounted.

  Since the water supply tank 14 is provided on the top plate of the upper chamber 10A, the water supply tank 14 is detachably mounted to the housing 10. Further, the water supply tank 14 mounted on the housing 10 is located above (preferably just above) the evaporation tray 13 so that water can be supplied from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation tray 13 from above. The water supply structure from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation pan 13 will be described in detail in a third embodiment described later.

  The control unit 15 controls the operation of the humidifier 1 and performs at least drive control of the IH coil 11 and the blower fan 12. Of course, in addition to these, timer control is performed when the humidifier 1 is operated as a timer, or the humidifier 1 is provided with various sensors such as a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, and automatic operation control based on detection of these sensors is performed. It is also possible. In addition, although the arrangement | positioning location of the control part 15 is not specifically limited, It is preferable to arrange | position in the lower chamber 10B similarly to the IH coil 11 and the ventilation fan 12 which are control object. In the example of FIG. 1, the control unit 15 is provided on the bottom of the lower chamber 10B. Moreover, it is preferable that the control part 15 is covered by the waterproof cover 151 so that the penetration | invasion of water may be interrupted | blocked.

  In the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment, the IH coil 11 is disposed on the lower surface side of the separation wall 103, and the evaporation pan 13 made of a magnetic material is disposed on the upper surface side. For this reason, the evaporating dish 13 itself can be used as a heating element, and the water in the evaporating dish 13 can be heated by IH (Induction Heating). As described above, by using IH as the heating means, the evaporation pan 13 can be attached to and detached from the humidifier 1 while securing high heating efficiency by bringing the IH coil 11 and the evaporation pan 13 close to each other. it can. When the evaporating dish 13 is removed from the humidifier 1, the upper casing member 101 is removed from the lower casing member 102, so that the upper surface of the separation wall 103 is exposed, so the evaporating dish 13 can be easily removed.

In the humidifier 1, the water in the evaporating dish 13 is heated to generate water vapor, whereby all impurities (calcium and magnesium) contained in the water adhere to the evaporating dish 13 as scales. And since the evaporating dish 13 is separable from the humidifier 1, the evaporating dish 13 can be washed by immersing it in water or by immersing it in water to facilitate washing for removing the scale [Embodiment 2]
Although the humidifier 1 described above uses IH as a heating means, an IH system generally requires a fan for coil cooling. Further, in the steam type humidifier, a fan for lowering the temperature of the steam is often provided so that the user is not burned by the high temperature steam being blown out. In the second embodiment, a preferable air blowing structure in the humidifier 1 will be described.

  As described above, the inside of the housing 10 of the humidifier 1 is separated into the upper chamber 10A and the lower chamber 10B, and the upper chamber 10A and the lower chamber 10B communicate with each other through the communication port 104. Further, a suction port 105 is provided in the lower chamber 10B, a blowout port 106 is provided in the upper chamber 10A, and an end (or near the end) substantially opposite to the communication port 104. For this reason, an air flow path which connects the upper chamber 10A and the lower chamber 10B is formed in the inside of the housing 10, and by driving the blower fan 12, the suction port 105 → lower chamber 10B → communication port 104 → Air flows in the order of the upper chamber 10A → the air outlet 106.

  Cooling of the IH coil 11 can be performed in the air flow path of the lower chamber 10B. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, when the control part 15 is arrange | positioned at lower chamber 10B, it is also possible to cool the control part 15. FIG. Since the IH coil 11 and the control unit 15 are provided on the top and bottom portions of the lower chamber 10B, they do not inhibit the flow of air in the air flow path.

  In the air flow path of the upper chamber 10A, a flow of air is generated obliquely upward from the communication port 104 toward the blowout port 106. At this time, the air flow passes through the center of the upper chamber 10A, that is, the upper portion of the evaporating dish 13, and thus mixes with the water vapor generated by the heating in the evaporating dish 13. Thereby, the temperature of the water vapor released from the outlet 106 can be reduced.

  Thus, in the humidifier 1, one blower fan 12 can be used both for cooling the IH coil 11 and for lowering the temperature of water vapor, thereby preventing an increase in cost due to an increase in the number of fans. Can.

  In addition, the humidifier 1 may be provided with an ion generator 16 that generates ions having a deodorizing or sterilizing effect. When the ion generator 16 is provided, as shown in FIG. 1, the ion generator 16 is preferably provided on the air flow path of the lower chamber 10B. As a result, the air blown by the blower fan 12 can also be used to discharge the ions generated by the ion generator 16. In the case of performing such ion emission, a certain amount of air flow is required to obtain a good ion diffusion effect, and a cold air sensation may occur due to the increase in air flow. On the other hand, in the humidifier 1, since the air blowing by the air blowing fan 12 includes the exhaust heat from the IH coil 11, the cold air feeling due to the increase of the air volume can be reduced and the exhaust heat utilization of the IH coil 11 is effective. is there.

Third Embodiment
Although the humidifier 1 described above has a configuration in which the evaporation tray 13 can be attached and detached, in this case, it is also necessary to take measures to prevent water leakage from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation tray 13. In the third embodiment, a suitable water supply structure in the humidifier 1 will be described.

  The water supply tank 14 used for the humidifier 1 is comprised from the tank main body 141 and the tank cap 142, as shown in FIG. Further, the tank cap 142 is attachable to and detachable from the tank main body 141, and tap water etc. can be supplied to the tank main body 141 with the tank cap 142 removed. The shape of the tank body 141 is not particularly limited, and may be circular in cross section or rectangular in cross section.

  When the water supply tank 14 is attached to the humidifier 1, the water supply tank 14 is inserted into the tank insertion port 107 with the tank cap 142 facing downward. The tank insertion port 107 is sized according to the tank body 141. When the water supply tank 14 is attached, the tank cap 142 is completely stored inside the housing 10, but a part of the tank body 141 is It may be exposed to the outside of the housing 10. Moreover, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 1, the water supply tank 14 inserted in the tank insertion port 107 is positioned by the positioning means in a predetermined position.

  Thus, when the water supply tank 14 is attached to the humidifier 1, the water supply tank 14 is located above the evaporation tray 13, and the water supply valve 143 provided at the tip of the tank cap 142 abuts against the bottom surface of the evaporation tray 13 and pushes it up. The feed valve 143 is opened. When the water supply valve 143 is opened, water is supplied from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation pan 13 from above, and the water level of the evaporation pan 13 is maintained slightly above the tip of the tank cap 142. Since such a water supply valve 143 is a known structure, the detailed description of the water supply valve 143 is omitted here.

  As described above, in the humidifier 1, the water is supplied from the water supply tank 14 located above the evaporation dish 13 to the evaporation dish 13 from above, so the outer edge of the evaporation dish 13 between the water supply tank 14 and the evaporation dish 13 There is no need to provide a separate water supply path at a location that is more outward. For this reason, even if the evaporating dish 13 is made attachable to and removable from the humidifier 1, water leakage does not occur in a water supply path or the like provided outside the evaporating dish. In the conventional humidifier, the water supply tank and the evaporating dish are connected by the water supply path, and since the water supplying path is provided outward from the outer edge of the evaporating dish, the water leakage in the water supply path I needed to prevent it. In addition, in order to prevent water leakage in the water supply path, the seamless integration of the evaporation pan and the water supply path is also a factor that makes it impossible to separate the evaporation pan.

  In the first modification, the water supply tank 14 is positioned above the evaporation tray 13 so that a water supply path is not separately provided between the water supply tank 14 and the evaporation tray 13, and water is supplied directly from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation tray 13. It is also possible to make it the structure to carry out. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the water is supplied directly from the water supply tank 14 to the evaporation dish 13. Even if a water supply path is provided between the water supply tank 14 and the evaporation dish 13, this water supply path May be present inward of the outer edge of the evaporation tray 13. In addition, positioning the water supply tank 14 above (more preferably, immediately above) the evaporation tray 13 is also advantageous in reducing the size (reducing the area) of the humidifier 1.

  Further, the tank cap 142 is a pipe portion 144 having a diameter smaller than that of the tank body 141 except for the connection portion with the tank body 141, and the tip of the pipe portion 144 (opposite to the connection portion with the tank body 141) The water supply valve 143 is provided on the In addition, when the water supply tank 14 is attached to the humidifier 1, the pipe portion 144 has a length completely stored in the upper chamber 10A.

  Thus, the pipe portion 144 is included in the portion of the water supply tank 14 located immediately above the evaporation tray 13 and stored inside the upper chamber 10A. As described above, the internal space of the upper chamber 10A is a part of the air flow path, but by providing the pipe portion 144 in the water supply tank 14, it is possible to suppress the water supply tank 14 from obstructing the flow of air. . Thus, the generated water vapor can be efficiently discharged from the blowout port 106, and the internal condensation can be prevented to increase the amount of humidification.

  Further, when the humidifier 1 is in operation, the tip of the water supply tank 14 is immersed in the hot water heated by the evaporation plate 13, but the tip of the water supply tank 14 to be immersed in the hot water is By doing so, the contact surface with the hot water can be minimized. Thereby, energy loss due to heat conduction from the hot water to the water supply tank 14 can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the water supply tank 14, it is possible that the part stored in the inside of the upper chamber 10A is exposed to high temperature steam, and the surface temperature becomes high. On the other hand, when the pipe portion 144 has a small diameter, the specific surface area increases, and it is easy to cool when the water supply tank 14 is removed from the humidifier 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from touching and burning the surface of the water supply tank 14 that has become hot.

  In addition, it is preferable to make the length L (refer FIG. 2) of the pipe part 144 into the range of 50-200 mm from said viewpoint.

  When the water supply tank 14 is attached to the humidifier 1, the water supply valve 143 is open. For this reason, when the hot water of the evaporation tray 13 flows into the water supply tank 14 by convection, energy loss occurs. In order to prevent this energy loss, as shown in FIG. 3, the tank cap 142 may be provided with a check valve 145. Further, by providing the check valve 145 to prevent the hot water from flowing into the water supply tank 14, the temperature rise of the water supply tank 14 can also be prevented, and the user touches and burns the surface of the water supply tank 14 that has become high temperature. You can also avoid it.

  In the above description, the evaporating dish 13 is formed in a dish shape having a large width with respect to the height, and the IH coil 11 is disposed to face the bottom of the evaporating dish 13, but the present invention is limited thereto It is not a thing. For example, the evaporation plate 13 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having a small width with respect to the height dimension, and the IH coil 11 may be disposed to face the side surface of the evaporation plate 13.

  The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and do not constitute a basis for limiting interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-mentioned embodiment, and is defined based on the statement of a claim. Moreover, all changes within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included.

1 Humidifier (steam humidifier)
Reference Signs List 10 housing 10A upper chamber 10B lower chamber 101 upper housing member 102 lower housing member 103 separation wall 104 communication port 105 suction port 106 outlet 107 tank insertion port 11 IH coil 12 air blower fan 13 evaporation plate 14 water supply tank 141 tank body 142 tank cap 143 water supply valve 144 pipe section 145 check valve 15 control section 16 ion generator

Claims (6)

A steam humidifier that heats water to generate steam,
IH coil,
An evaporation pan formed of magnetic material and containing heated water;
The steaming humidifier characterized in that the evaporating dish is attachable to and detachable from the steam type humidifier. The steam humidifier according to claim 1, wherein
There is a blower fan inside the case of the steam type humidifier,
The steam type humidifier characterized in that the blower fan is used both for cooling the IH coil and for lowering the temperature of the steam released from the steam type humidifier. The steam-type humidifier according to claim 2, wherein
It has an ion generator that generates ions,
A steam-type humidifier characterized in that air blowing by the air blowing fan is also used for discharging ions generated by the ion generator. The steam-type humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The steam type humidifier includes a water supply tank which is attachable to and detachable from the steam type humidifier, and which supplies water to the evaporation dish.
A steam type humidifier characterized in that when the water supply tank is attached to the steam type humidifier, the water supply tank is located above the evaporating dish. The steam-type humidifier according to claim 4, wherein
The water supply tank is composed of a tank body and a tank cap, and when the water supply tank is mounted on the steam type humidifier, the tank cap is a case of the steam type humidifier with the tank cap facing downward. Completely stored inside the body,
A steam type humidifier characterized in that the tank cap has a pipe portion whose diameter is smaller than that of the tank body at its tip. The steam humidifier according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The steam type humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the water supply tank includes a check valve configured to prevent hot water of the evaporating dish from flowing into the water supply tank.

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