JP2020134028A - Sterilization unit and drain pan sterilization system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sterilization unit that can efficiently sterilize drainage accumulated in a drain pan.SOLUTION: A sterilization unit 40 for sterilizing drainage 35 accumulated in a drain pan 19 includes: an LED lamp 44 for radiating ultraviolet light toward the drain pan 19; and a photocatalyst supported in a range irradiated with ultraviolet light by the LED lamp 44. The LED lamp 44 is lighted to irradiate the drainage 35 with ultraviolet light to sterilize the drainage 35 with ultraviolet light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a sterilization unit and a drain pan sterilization system.

Conventionally, in an indoor unit of an air conditioner, there is an environment in which bacteria are likely to be generated in the drain water of the indoor heat exchanger.
For this reason, as a technique for sterilizing indoor heat exchangers by irradiating them with ultraviolet rays, direct irradiation of the heat exchanger with ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet lamp and direct irradiation of resin parts such as fans and drain pans causes resin deterioration. Since the reliability of the resin is lowered, a technique for providing a reflector between the ultraviolet lamp and the fan or drain pan is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-189249

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, the indoor heat exchanger is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the drain pan is not irradiated with ultraviolet light in order to prevent deterioration of the resin.
Therefore, there is a problem that the drain water accumulated in the drain pan cannot be sterilized.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization unit and a drain pan sterilization system capable of efficiently sterilizing drain water accumulated in a drain pan. ..

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a sterilization unit for sterilizing the drain water stored in the drain pan, wherein the LED lamp that irradiates the drain pan with ultraviolet light and the ultraviolet light from the LED lamp are used. It is characterized by including a photocatalyst supported in an irradiation range.

According to the present invention, by turning on the LED lamp, the drain water can be irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the drain water can be sterilized by the ultraviolet light. Further, by irradiating the photocatalyst with ultraviolet light, the drain water can be sterilized more efficiently.

Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the indoor unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention Top view showing the drain pan of this embodiment Schematic sectional view showing a part of the drain pan of this embodiment Side view showing the sterilization unit of this embodiment Top view showing the sterilization unit of this embodiment

The first invention is a sterilization unit for sterilizing drain water stored in a drain pan, which is supported in an LED lamp that irradiates the drain pan with ultraviolet light and an irradiation range of the ultraviolet light by the LED lamp. It is equipped with a photocatalyst.
As a result, by turning on the LED lamp, the drain water can be irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the drain water can be sterilized by the ultraviolet light. Further, by irradiating the photocatalyst with ultraviolet light, the drain water can be efficiently sterilized.

In the second invention, a substrate is provided on the optical axis of the LED lamp, and the photocatalyst is supported on the surface of the substrate.
As a result, by providing the substrate carrying the photocatalyst on the optical axis of the LED lamp, the photocatalyst of the substrate can be irradiated with the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp, and the drain water is sterilized and deodorized. be able to. Further, since it is possible to prevent the drain pan from being directly irradiated with ultraviolet light by the substrate, it is possible to prevent the resin material of the drain pan from being deteriorated.

In the third invention, a tubular shielding member made of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet light is provided between the LED lamp and the substrate.
As a result, the leakage of the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp can be prevented by the shielding member, so that the member that is easily deteriorated by the ultraviolet light arranged outside the sterilization system can be protected. it can. Further, by providing the shielding member, the ultraviolet light from the LED lamp can be concentrated and irradiated to the drain water, so that the drain water can be sterilized efficiently.

In the fourth invention, a communication hole for communicating the inside and the outside of the shielding member is formed at the lower end of the shielding member.
As a result, the drain water collected in the drain pan flows between the inside and the outside of the shielding member through the communication hole, so that the amount of drain water that can be irradiated with the ultraviolet light of the LED lamp can be increased, and the drain water can be removed. Bacterial effect can be enhanced.

In the fifth invention, the substrate is formed to be larger than the projected area of the shielding member, and the photocatalyst is also supported on the outside of the shielding member of the substrate.
As a result, even when the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp leaks from the communication hole to the outside of the shielding member, the photocatalyst supported on the substrate can obtain a sterilizing effect.

A sixth invention is a drain pan sterilization system including the sterilization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
As a result, by turning on the LED lamp, the drain water can be irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the drain water can be sterilized by the ultraviolet light. Further, by irradiating the photocatalyst with ultraviolet light, it is possible to efficiently sterilize the drain water by decomposing the substance by the photocatalyst.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner to which the drain pan sterilization system according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.
In the following description, the top and bottom, inside and outside are described with reference to the indoor unit 10 installed on the ceiling. In addition, the space where the air after air conditioning is blown out is the harmonized room.

The indoor unit 10 is installed in the ceiling space 13 between the ceiling 11 of the building and the ceiling plate 12 installed below the ceiling 11. The indoor unit 10 includes an indoor unit main body 14 and a decorative panel 30 that covers the lower opening of the indoor unit main body 14.
The indoor unit main body 14 includes a substantially box-shaped housing 15 having a substantially entire lower surface open. The indoor unit main body 14 is sucked into the styrofoam heat insulating member 16, the indoor heat exchanger 17, the blower 18, the drain pan 19 that receives the drain water of the indoor heat exchanger 17, and the blower 18 inside the housing 15. It is provided with a bell mouth 20 that rectifies the air to be generated.
Hanging metal fittings 21 are attached to the corners of the outer surface of the housing 15. The indoor unit main body 14 is installed in a state of being suspended from the ceiling 11 by connecting the hanging metal fitting 21 to the hanging bolt 22 hanging from the ceiling 11.

The decorative panel 30 is formed in a substantially quadrangular plate shape in a plan view so as to cover the opening on the lower surface of the indoor unit main body 14.
A suction port 31 communicating with the bell mouth 20 is formed in the central portion of the decorative panel 30. A suction grill 32 that covers the suction port 31 is detachably attached to the decorative panel 30. A filter 33 for removing dust and the like in the air is provided on the indoor unit main body 14 side of the suction grill 32.

At positions outside the suction port 31 of the decorative panel 30 and along each side of the outer peripheral portion of the decorative panel 30, air outlets 34 for sending air after air conditioning to the conditioned chamber are formed. That is, the air outlet 34 is provided along each side of the decorative panel 30 having a substantially quadrangular shape in a plan view, and air is blown out from the air outlet 34 in four directions.
Each of the outlets 34 is provided with flaps (not shown) whose outlet direction can be adjusted.

The heat insulating member 16 is provided on the inner surface of the side plate 15a and the top plate 15b of the housing 15 to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation on the housing 15.

The blower 18 includes a fan motor 23 and a centrifugal fan 24. The fan motor 23 includes a rotating shaft 23a extending downward, and the centrifugal fan 24 is fixed to the rotating shaft 23a. The fan motor 23 is arranged substantially in the center of the indoor unit 10 in a plan view, and is fixed to the top plate 15b of the housing 15.
The centrifugal fan 24 includes a disk-shaped main plate 24a fixed to the rotating shaft 23a, an annular shroud 24b arranged substantially coaxially with the main plate 24a below the main plate 24a, and a plurality of shrouds 24b connecting the shroud 24a and the main plate 24a. It is equipped with a wing 24c. A plurality of wings 24c are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the main plate 24a.

The indoor heat exchanger 17 is formed by bending a plate-shaped heat exchanger into a substantially square shape in a plan view so as to surround substantially the entire blower 18 from the side.
The indoor heat exchanger 17 functions as a refrigerant evaporator during the cooling operation and as a refrigerant condenser during the heating operation. The indoor heat exchanger 17 exchanges heat between the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit main body 14 and the refrigerant, cools the air in the air conditioning room during the cooling operation, and heats the indoor air during the heating operation. Is configured to allow

The drain pan 19 is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 17 so that the drain water 35 generated by the indoor heat exchanger 17 can be received. The drain pan 19 is made of Styrofoam.
The drain pan 19 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape so as to close substantially the entire opening on the lower surface of the housing 15.
The drain pan 19 is formed in a water channel shape that goes around along the indoor heat exchanger 17. The indoor unit 10 includes a drain pump 36 for discharging the drain water 35 on the passage of the drain water 35.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the drain pan 19 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the drain pan 19 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the sterilization unit 40 of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the sterilization unit 40 of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, in the present embodiment, the sterilization unit 40 is arranged on the upper surface of the drain pan 19 in the vicinity of the drain pump 36.
The sterilization unit 40 includes an LED substrate 43 and an LED lamp 44 provided on the LED substrate 43 to irradiate ultraviolet light. The LED lamp 44 is oriented in a direction in which the upper surface of the drain pan 19 can be irradiated with light.
A disk-shaped substrate 45 is arranged on the optical axis of the LED lamp 44. The substrate 45 is formed of, for example, a metal plate, a ceramic plate, an ultraviolet-resistant resin plate, a glass plate, a mirror surface plate, or the like.
Further, in the present embodiment, a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide is supported on the surface of the substrate 45.

A cylindrical shielding member 46 is provided between the LED substrate 43 and the substrate 45. The shielding member 46 is made of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet light, such as polycarbonate.
At the lower end of the shielding member 46, a communication hole 47 for communicating the inside and the outside of the shielding member 46 is formed.
The LED substrate 43, the substrate 45, and the shielding member 46 are integrally formed, and the sterilization unit 40 is unitized.
By unitizing the sterilization unit 40, the sterilization unit 40 can be installed in the drain pan 19 of the existing indoor unit, which makes it possible to sterilize the drain water 35 of the existing indoor unit. Become.
The sterilization unit 40 is placed on the upper surface of the drain pan 19, and in this state, the lower ends of the substrate 45 and the shielding member 46 are immersed in the drain water 35. As a result, the drain water 35 enters the inside of the shielding member 46 through the communication hole 47.

Further, the outer shape of the substrate 45 is formed so as to be slightly larger than the projected area of the shielding member 46.
By forming the outer shape of the substrate 45 large in this way and supporting the photocatalyst on the surface of the substrate 45, even when the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp 44 leaks from the communication hole 47 to the outside of the shielding member 46, the substrate The sterilization effect can be obtained by the photocatalyst of 45.
The inner surface of the shielding member 46 may be mirror-treated.
By performing the mirror surface treatment, the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp 44 can be reflected inside the shielding member 46, which makes it possible to increase the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet light.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, when the indoor unit 10 is operated, the air in the harmonious chamber is sucked into the inside from the suction port 31 through the bell mouth 20 by the rotation of the blower 18.
Next, the sucked air is blown to the outside by the blower 18, and when passing through the indoor heat exchanger 17, heat is exchanged and blown out from the air outlet 34 to the harmonious chamber.

In this case, the LED lamp 44 of the sterilization unit 40 is turned on, and the drain water 35 that has entered the inside of the shielding member 46 through the communication hole 47 is irradiated with ultraviolet light.
When the drain water 35 is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the drain water 35 is sterilized by the ultraviolet light.

At this time, the LED lamp 44 of the sterilization unit 40 may be turned on while the indoor unit 10 is being operated, or may be turned on for a certain period of time after the operation of the indoor unit 10 is stopped.
This is not stable because the drain water 35 of the drain pan 19 is constantly drained by the operation of the drain pump 36 when the indoor unit 10 is in operation, but when the operation of the indoor unit 10 is stopped, the drain pump 36 stops. This is because the drain water 35 of the drain pan 19 stays and stabilizes, and in this state, the drain water 35 can be efficiently sterilized by irradiating the LED lamp 44 with ultraviolet light. ..

Further, the LED lamp 44 of the sterilization unit 40 may be turned on while the drain pump 36 is operating. When the drain pump 36 is operated, the drain water 35 collected in the drain pan 19 moves. Therefore, since the drain water 35 flows between the inside and the outside of the shielding member 46 through the communication hole 47, the amount of the drain water 35 that can irradiate the ultraviolet light of the LED lamp 44 can be increased, and the drain water 35 can be increased. It is possible to enhance the sterilizing effect of.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the photocatalyst is supported on the surface of the substrate 45, when the ultraviolet light is irradiated, the ultraviolet light reacts with the photocatalyst to sterilize the drain water 35. Can be done.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the sterilization unit 40 for sterilizing the drain water 35 stored in the drain pan 19, the LED lamp 44 that irradiates the drain pan 19 with ultraviolet light and the LED lamp. It includes a photocatalyst supported in the irradiation range of ultraviolet light by 44.
As a result, by turning on the LED lamp 44, the drain water 35 can be irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the drain water 35 can be sterilized by the ultraviolet light. Further, by irradiating the photocatalyst with ultraviolet light, the drain water 35 can be sterilized more efficiently by the substance decomposition effect of the photocatalyst.

Further, in the present embodiment, the substrate 45 is provided on the optical axis of the LED lamp 44, and the photocatalyst is supported on the surface of the substrate 45.
As a result, by providing the substrate 45 carrying the photocatalyst on the optical axis of the LED lamp 44, the photocatalyst of the substrate 45 can be irradiated with the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp 44, and the drain water 35 is sterilized. It can be performed. Further, since it is possible to prevent the drain pan 19 from being directly irradiated with ultraviolet light by the substrate 45, it is possible to prevent the resin material of the drain pan 19 from being deteriorated.

Further, in the present embodiment, a tubular shielding member 46 made of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet light is provided between the LED lamp 44 and the substrate 45.
As a result, the shielding member 46 can prevent the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp 44 from leaking, so that the member that is easily deteriorated by the ultraviolet light arranged outside the sterilization system is protected. be able to. Further, by providing the shielding member 46, the ultraviolet light from the LED lamp 44 can be concentrated and irradiated to the drain water 35, so that the drain water 35 can be sterilized efficiently.

Further, in the present embodiment, a communication hole 47 for communicating the inside and the outside of the shielding member 46 is formed at the lower end portion of the shielding member 46.
As a result, the drain water 35 collected in the drain pan 19 flows between the inside and the outside of the shielding member 46 through the communication hole 47, so that the amount of drain water 35 that can be irradiated with the ultraviolet light of the LED lamp 44 is increased. The sterilizing effect of the drain water 35 can be enhanced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the substrate 45 is formed to be larger than the projected area of the shielding member 46, and the photocatalyst is also supported on the outside of the shielding member 46 of the substrate 45.
As a result, even when the ultraviolet light emitted from the LED lamp 44 leaks from the communication hole 47 to the outside of the shielding member 46, the deterioration of the resin material of the drain pan 19 can be suppressed, and the sterilization effect can be obtained by the photocatalyst of the substrate 45. It will be possible.

Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment. Since this is merely an example of one embodiment of the present invention, it can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the sterilization unit and the drain pan sterilization system are applied to the indoor unit of the air conditioner has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, any device such as a refrigerator, a showcase, or a freezer that stores the drain water 35 in the drain pan 19 can be applied to any device.

As described above, the sterilization unit according to the present invention is a sterilization unit capable of efficiently sterilizing drain water accumulated in the drain pan by ultraviolet rays and preventing deterioration of the resin material of the drain pan. It can be preferably used.

10 Indoor unit 14 Indoor unit main body 17 Indoor heat exchanger 18 Blower 19 Drain pan 20 Bellmouth 23 Fan motor 24 Centrifugal fan 30 Decorative panel 31 Suction port 34 Air outlet 35 Drain water 36 Drain pump 40 Bactericidal unit 43 LED board 44 LED lamp 45 Substrate 46 Shielding member 47 Communication hole

Claims (6)

In the sterilization unit for sterilizing the drain water stored in the drain pan
A sterilization unit comprising an LED lamp that irradiates the drain pan with ultraviolet light, and a photocatalyst supported in the irradiation range of the ultraviolet light by the LED lamp. The sterilization unit according to claim 1, wherein a substrate is provided on the optical axis of the LED lamp and the photocatalyst is supported on the surface of the substrate. The sterilization unit according to claim 2, wherein a tubular shielding member made of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet light is provided between the LED lamp and the substrate. The sterilization unit according to claim 3, wherein a communication hole for communicating the inside and the outside of the shielding member is formed at the lower end portion of the shielding member. The sterilization unit according to claim 4, wherein the substrate is formed to be larger than the projected area of the shielding member, and the photocatalyst is also supported on the outside of the shielding member of the substrate. A drain pan sterilization system comprising the sterilization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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