JP2021058849A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate confirmation of internal capacity of a container for storing dust.SOLUTION: An air cleaner includes: a filter for cleaning air; a cleaning part for cleaning the filter; a container for storing the dust removed from the filter by the cleaning part; and a housing accommodating the container and having an opening that is opened so that the container can be viewed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an air purifier.

There is known a filter dust remover that can clean the filter without removing the filter by installing an operating brush in front of the filter and can keep it in a clean state at all times (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-170430

In an air purifier equipped with an automatic filter cleaning mechanism, the dust collected by cleaning the filter collects in a removable container inside the air purifier. When a certain amount of dust has accumulated in the container, the user removes the container from the air purifier and discards the accumulated dust.

At this time, since it is necessary for the user to remove the panel (cover portion) on the rear side of the air purifier in order to confirm whether or not dust is accumulated in the container, there is a problem that maintainability is poor.

One aspect of the present invention is to facilitate confirmation of the content of a container for collecting dust.

The air purifier according to one aspect of the present invention accommodates a filter for purifying air, a cleaning unit for cleaning the filter, a container for collecting dust removed from the filter by the cleaning unit, and the container. It comprises a housing having an opening that opens the container so that it is visible.

It is a front view of the air purifier which concerns on embodiment. It is a side sectional view of the air purifier which concerns on embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning device. It is a rear view of the air purifier which concerns on embodiment. It is a rear view of the air purifier of the 1st modification of embodiment. It is a rear view of the air purifier of the 2nd modification of embodiment. It is a rear view of the air purifier of the 3rd modification of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the air purifier according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the air purifier according to the embodiment. The arrow S indicates the flow of air.

The air purifier 1 has a housing 2 that opens a suction port 3, an air outlet 4, 5 and an opening 24 and is installed on a floor surface or the like in a living room. The housing 2 houses a pre-filter 6, a deodorizing filter 7, a dust collecting filter 9, a humidifying unit 200, a blower 10, an ion generator 11, a cleaning device 30, a dust collecting unit 90, and the like. The housing 2 has a main body portion 20 and a cover portion 21.

The cover portion 21 is detachably attached to the back surface of the main body portion 20 and has a suction port 3 and an opening 24 that open. The main body 20 has open air outlets 4 and 5 on the upper front surface and the upper surface, respectively.

Wind direction plates 14 and 15 for varying the wind direction are provided at the air outlets 4 and 5, respectively. The wind direction plate 14 is made of a flat plate, is supported by a rotation shaft portion (not shown) provided on the wind direction plate 14, and can rotate in the vertical direction. A plurality of vertical louvers 14a are provided side by side in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the wind direction plate 14. The vertical louvers 14a at both end ends are inclined outward in the left-right direction toward the front.

The wind direction plate 15 is made of a flat plate, is supported by a rotation shaft portion 15b provided at the front portion of the wind direction plate 15, and can rotate in the vertical direction. A plurality of vertical louvers 15a are provided side by side in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the wind direction plate 15. The vertical louvers 15a at both ends are inclined outward in the left-right direction toward the rear.

The wind direction plates 14 and 15 close the air outlets 4 and 5 when the operation of the air purifier 1 is stopped, and open the air outlets 4 and 5 when the air purifier 1 is operated.

An air passage 8 connecting the suction port 3 and the air outlets 4 and 5 is provided in the housing 2. In the air passage 8, the pre-filter 6 (filter), the deodorizing filter 7, the dust collecting filter 9, the humidifying section 200, and the blower are in order from the suction port 3 toward the outlets 4 and 5 (from the upstream to the downstream of the air flow). 10. The ion generator 11 and the damper 12 are provided.

The air passage 8 has a first branch passage 8a and a second branch passage 8b that branch downstream of the ion generator 11. The first branch passage 8a and the second branch passage 8b communicate with the outlets 4 and 5, respectively, and the cross-sectional area of the air flow path of the first branch passage 8a is based on the cross-sectional area of the air flow path of the second branch passage 8b. Is also getting smaller.

The damper 12 is formed in a thin plate shape, is supported by the rotating shaft portion 12a, and can rotate in the vertical direction. The damper 12 can rotate from the closed position (see FIG. 2) to the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) of the first branch passage 8a. The damper 12 changes the air volume balance of the first branch passage 8a and the second branch passage 8b.

The blower 10 is driven by the motor 10a. The blower 10 is formed by, for example, a centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan, and takes in air in the axial direction and exhausts air in the circumferential direction.

The pre-filter 6 is installed on the cover portion 21 facing the suction port 3 to purify the intake air. The prefilter 6 is formed of, for example, a sheet-like mesh such as polypropylene. The pre-filter 6 makes it possible to collect large dust in the intake air.

The deodorizing filter 7 adsorbs an odorous component in the air to deodorize the air.

The dust collection filter 9 is composed of, for example, a HEPA (High Effective Particulate Air) filter, and a frame material (not shown) is welded by hot melt so as to cover a filter medium (not shown). The dust collecting filter 9 can collect fine dust in the air and fine particles such as PM2.5 having a particle size smaller than a predetermined particle size (for example, 3 μm).

The humidifying section 200 immerses the lower part of the humidifying filter 202 in the water in the tray 201 to humidify the air passing through the humidifying filter 202. As a result, humidified air is sent out from the outlets 4 and 5.

The ion generator 11 has an ion generation surface 11a that generates positive ions and negative ions by applying a high voltage voltage. The ion generation surface 11a faces the inside of the air passage 8. A voltage composed of an AC waveform or an impulse waveform is applied to the ion generation surface 11a. The ion generator 11 generates positive ions when the applied voltage of the ion generating surface 11a is a positive voltage, and generates negative ions when the applied voltage is a negative voltage. The ion generator 11 can sterilize the living room and remove odors by generating positive ions and negative ions and sending them out from the outlets 4 and 5. The ion generator 11 may generate only one of positive ions and negative ions.

An operation unit 19 is provided on the front portion of the upper surface of the main body unit 20. The operation unit 19 has a plurality of buttons (not shown), and the operation of the air purifier 1 is set by the operation of the user. By operating each button, it is possible to change the air volume of the air sent out from the outlets 4 and 5 and the direction of the air blown out.

Further, the cover portion 21 is provided with a cleaning device (cleaning portion) 30 for cleaning the pre-filter 6.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning device.

The cleaning device 30 includes a supply roll 40, a take-up roll 50, a gear unit 60, an urging unit 70, a brush body 80, a dust collecting unit 90, and a drive motor 100 (see FIG. 2).

The supply roll 40 and the take-up roll 50 are arranged at the upper part and the lower part of the cover portion 21, respectively, and hold both ends of the prefilter 6. The pre-filter 6 has a supply roll 40 extending in the left-right direction and a bar material 6a held by the take-up roll 50 at both ends in the take-up direction. The pre-filter 6 is wound around the supply roll 40 when the cleaning device 30 is stopped, is sent out from the supply roll 40 when the cleaning device 30 is driven, and is wound around the winding roll 50.

The supply roll 40 has a shaft 41 extending in the left-right direction, and caps 48 are fitted on both ends of the shaft 41. The cap 48 is rotatably supported by a support member 49 arranged at the upper end of the inner surface of the cover portion 21. As a result, the supply roll 40 is rotatably arranged on a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. Further, one end (right end) of the supply roll 40 is connected to the urging portion 70 via the cap 48.

The take-up roll 50 has a shaft 51 extending in the left-right direction, and caps 58 are fitted on both ends of the shaft 51. The left and right caps 58 are rotatably supported by a support member 59 and a gear unit 60 arranged at the lower end of the inner surface of the cover portion 21, respectively. As a result, the take-up roll 50 is rotatably arranged on a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction.

In FIG. 3, the brush body 80 is arranged in a dust collecting portion 90 detachably attached to the cover portion 21. The brush body 80 has a shaft 81 supported at both ends in the axial direction by the dust collecting portion 90, and rotates when the cleaning device 30 is driven to remove dust on the prefilter 6. A spur gear 68 is provided at one end (right end) of the shaft 81, and brush bristles 82 are spirally provided at predetermined intervals on the peripheral surface of the shaft 81.

The dust collecting portion 90 has a lid portion 91, a container 92, and a comb portion 93, and is detachably arranged with respect to the cover portion 21. The container 92 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin, has an upper surface open, and supports the brush body 80 on both sides. The lid 91 opens an opening 91a that opens over the left and right ends and covers the upper surface of the container 92. The brush bristles 82 of the brush body 80 are exposed to the outside through the opening 91a. The comb portion 93 is formed so as to extend in the left-right direction, and is arranged in the container 92 with the tooth tips facing upward. The brush bristles 82 of the rotating brush body 80 come into contact with the tooth tips of the comb portion 93. Dust adhering to the brush bristles 82 is removed from the brush bristles 82 by the comb portion 93.

The dust removed from the pre-filter 6 by the brush body 80 and the dust removed from the brush body 80 by the comb portion 93 are collected in the container 92. The container 92 is made of a material that is transparent to visible light. The container 92 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin, and the user can easily grasp the amount (content volume) of dust in the container 92 simply by looking at the container 92 from the outside. The container 92 does not have to be colorless and transparent, and may have a color such that the dust inside the container 92 can be visually recognized. Further, the container 92 does not have to have transparency to visible light as a whole, and only a part (for example, the side facing the cover portion 21) may have transparency to visible light.

The drive motor 100 (see FIG. 2) is arranged in the main body 20 of the housing 2, and the rotation shaft (not shown) of the drive motor 100 projects rearward from the back surface of the main body 20.

Further, a pressing member 22 is arranged in front of the pre-filter 6 with a predetermined gap. The pressing member 22 is detachably attached to the cover portion 21. The pressing member 22 has a rectangular frame 22a, and the frame 22a is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin such as ABS. Inside the frame 22a, ribs 22b extending in the vertical direction and a plurality of ribs 22c extending in the horizontal direction and arranged side by side in the vertical direction (three in the embodiment) are provided. As a result, the pressing member 22 is formed with windows having a plurality of stages and a plurality of rows. The presser member 22 stably arranges the pre-filter 6 along the suction port 3, and can prevent the pre-filter 6 from loosening due to the suction air flow.

A magnet 23 is provided at the center of the right end of the frame 22a of the pressing member 22. A Hall element (not shown) is provided at a position of the main body 20 facing the magnet 23. The air purifier 1 can determine whether or not the cover portion 21 is attached to the main body portion 20 by the Hall element. Then, when the air purifier 1 determines that the cover portion 21 is not attached to the main body portion 20, the operation of the blower 10 is prohibited. As a result, the blowing operation of the air purifier 1 in a state where the cover portion 21 is not attached to the main body portion 20 is avoided.

Further, the gear unit 60 and the urging portion 70 are arranged at one end portion (right end portion) of the cover portion 21. Therefore, a space SP is formed between the gear unit 60 and the urging portion 70 on the inner surface of the cover portion 21. A tape-shaped member 300 containing information on the instruction manual for the air purifier 1 is attached to the space SP. The above information includes information on how to remove the pre-filter 6 from the cleaning device 30, and information on how to operate the handle 73 of the urging unit 70, which will be described later.

As a result, when the cover portion 21 is removed from the main body portion 20, the user visually recognizes the above information and easily recognizes how to remove the prefilter 6 from the cleaning device 30 and how to operate the handle 73 of the urging portion 70. can do.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the air purifier according to the embodiment.

The cover portion 21 has a suction port 3 that opens and an opening 24 that opens. The opening 24 is provided at a position facing the container 92 when the dust collecting portion 90 is attached to the cover portion 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the opening 24 is provided in the lower part of the cover portion 21. The user can see the container 92 through the opening 24. That is, the user can visually recognize the amount (content volume) of dust in the container 92 without removing the cover portion 21 from the main body portion 20. Since the appearance of dust in the container 92 is spoiled, the opening 24 may be provided in the cover portion 21 attached to the back side of the housing 2 which is difficult to see when the air purifier 1 is installed as in the embodiment. desirable.

Further, the size of the opening 24 in FIG. 4 is large enough to allow the container 92 to pass through. The user can take out the container 92 through the opening 24 with the cover portion 21 attached. For example, the shape of the opening 24 is rectangular, and the lengths of the opening 24 in the longitudinal direction (X direction shown in FIG. 4) and the lateral direction (Y direction shown in FIG. 4) are the lateral widths of the container 92 (the Y direction shown in FIG. 4). It is longer than the respective lengths (X direction shown in FIG. 4) and height (Y direction shown in FIG. 4).

According to the air purifier of the embodiment, the internal capacity of the container 92 can be easily confirmed without removing the cover portion 21 of the housing 2.

Further, according to the air purifier of the embodiment, the container 92 can be taken out without removing the cover portion 21 of the housing 2.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the air purifier of the first modification of the embodiment.

The size of the opening 24 may be such that the content of the container 92 can be confirmed. For example, the size of the opening 24 of the first modification shown in FIG. 5 is smaller than the size of the opening 24 of FIG. 4, and a part of the container 92 is visible. The size of the opening 24 of the first modification does not have to be large enough to allow the container 92 to be taken out as in the opening 24 of FIG. 4, and a part of the container 92 may be visible. ..

Further, a plurality of openings 24 may be provided. For example, a plurality of openings smaller than the opening 24 in FIG. 5 may be provided at a position where a part of the container 92 of the cover portion 21 can be visually recognized. For example, when three openings are provided, openings may be provided at both ends and the center of the lower portion of the cover portion 21 so that both ends and the center of the container 92 can be visually recognized. Thereby, for example, even when dust is unevenly accumulated at either end or the center of the container 92, the internal capacity of the container 92 can be easily confirmed.

According to the first modification, the internal capacity of the container 92 can be easily confirmed without removing the cover portion 21 of the housing 2. Further, according to the first modification, by reducing the size of the opening 24, the amount of dust and dirt entering the inside of the housing 2 from the opening 24 can be reduced, and the possibility of failure can be reduced. ..

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the air purifier of the second modification of the embodiment.

The cover portion 21 of the second modification is provided with a panel 25 having a transparency to visible light in the opening portion 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the cover portion 21 of the second modification is provided with a panel 25 made of a transparent resin in the opening 24, and the opening 24 is closed by the panel 25. ..

Since the panel 25 is transparent to visible light, the user can see the container 92 through the panel 25. That is, the user can visually recognize the amount (content volume) of dust in the container 92 without removing the cover portion 21 from the main body portion 20. The panel 25 does not have to be colorless and transparent, and may have a color that makes the container 92 visible.

According to the second modification, the internal capacity of the container 92 can be easily confirmed without removing the cover portion 21 of the housing. Further, according to the second modification, by providing the panel 25 in the opening 24, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from entering the inside of the housing 2 from the opening 24, and the possibility of failure is reduced. it can.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the air purifier of the third modification of the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cover portion 21 of the third modification is provided with a door 26 that can be opened and closed at the opening 24. The door 26 is a hinged door, and the user can open the door 26 and visually recognize the content of the container 92 through the opening 24 by pulling the door 26 upward toward the front. The door 26 may be a sliding door that can be opened and closed by sliding up and down or left and right.

The door 26 is made of, for example, an opaque resin. When the door 26 is closed, the opening 24 is closed and the container 92 cannot be seen from the outside. Further, when the door 26 is closed, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from entering the inside of the housing 2.

Further, the size of the opening 24 in FIG. 7 is large enough to allow the container 92 to pass through. The user can take out the container 92 through the opening 24 with the cover portion 21 attached. For example, the shape of the opening 24 is rectangular, and the lengths of the opening 24 in the longitudinal direction (X direction shown in FIG. 7) and the lateral direction (Y direction shown in FIG. 7) are the widths of the container 92 (the width of the container 92). It is longer than the respective lengths (X direction shown in FIG. 7) and height (Y direction shown in FIG. 7). As a result, the user can open the door 26 and take out the container 92 from the opening 24.

Further, a control circuit (not shown) or a sensor (not shown) provided in the air purifier 1 detects the open / closed state of the door 26 and controls the air purifier 1 provided in the air purifier 1. (Not shown) may control the operation of the cleaning device 30 based on the detection result of the open / closed state of the door 26. For example, the control circuit stops the operation of the cleaning device 30 when the door 26 is open, and enables the cleaning device 30 to operate only when the door 26 is closed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the cleaning device 30 during operation and improve the safety of the air purifier 1.

According to the air purifier of the third modification, the content of the container 92 can be easily confirmed without removing the cover portion 21. Further, according to the air purifier of the third modification, the container 92 can be taken out without removing the cover portion 21. Further, according to the air purifier of the third modification, by keeping the door 26 closed, the container 92 in which dust is collected cannot be seen, and the appearance quality can be maintained. Further, according to the air purifier of the third modification, by keeping the door 26 in a closed state, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from entering the inside of the housing 2 from the opening 24, resulting in a failure. The possibility can be reduced.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified, and the above-mentioned configuration achieves substantially the same configuration, a configuration exhibiting the same action and effect, or the same object. Can be replaced with a configuration that allows. For example, the opening 24 may be provided not at the cover portion 21 but at any position of the main body portion 20 where the container 92 can be visually recognized, depending on the position of the container 92. Further, the cover portion 21 may be attached to the front surface or the side surface of the air purifier 1.

1 Air purifier 2 Housing 3 Suction port 4, 5 Air outlet 6 Pre-filter (filter)
6a Bar material 7 Deodorizing filter 8 Air passage 8a 1st branch passage 8b 2nd branch passage 9 Dust collector 10 Blower 11 Ion generator 12 Damper 14, 15 Wind direction plate 20 Main body 21 Cover 22 Presser member 23 Magnet 24 Opening 25 Panel 26 Door 30 Cleaning device 40 Supply roll 41 Shaft 50 Winding roll 60 Gear unit 70 Biasing part 80 Brush body 81 Shaft 82 Brush bristle bundle 90 Dust collector 91 Lid 91a Opening 92 Container 93 Comb 100 Drive motor 200 Humidifying part 201 Tray 202 Humidifying filter 300 Tape-shaped member SP space

Claims (6)

A filter that purifies the air and
A cleaning unit that cleans the filter and
A container for collecting dust removed from the filter by the cleaning unit, and a container for collecting dust.
A housing having an opening that accommodates the container and is opened so that the container is visible.
Air purifier equipped with. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a transparent panel is provided in the opening. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a door that can be opened and closed is provided in the opening. The air purifier according to claim 3, further comprising a control circuit for stopping the cleaning unit when the door is open. The air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the opening is provided on the back surface side of the housing. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the container can be taken out from the opening.

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