JP2022076738A - Blower device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a blower device that can reduce infection risk at the time of communication in an object space with reduced energy.SOLUTION: A blower device 1 includes a blower 10, a detector 20, a calculation unit 110 and a control unit 120. The blower 10 is installed in an object space S. The detector 20 detects positional information relating to positions of people in the object space S. The calculation unit 110 calculates a distance D between the people on the basis of the positional information. The control unit 120 runs air blowing control of controlling the blower 10 on the basis of the distance D that is calculated by the calculation unit 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Regarding the blower.

A blower device is known that reduces the risk of infection during communication between people existing in a target space by controlling the direction of the blown airflow.

Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-219154) includes a plurality of blower devices installed above the room and a plurality of devices installed on the ceiling surface or the like at positions separated from the blower device to control the direction of airflow from the blower device. Discloses an airflow control system comprising.

The airflow control system of Patent Document 1 includes a control unit that controls an airflow control plate so that an airflow flows between two people existing in the target space.

In the airflow control system of Patent Document 1, since the airflow is generated regardless of the magnitude of the infection risk during communication on condition that a person is present in the room, there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of energy saving performance.

The present disclosure proposes a blower that can reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space with less energy.

The blower device of the first aspect includes a blower, a detection device, a calculation unit, and a control unit. The blower is installed in the target space. The detection device detects position information regarding the positions of a plurality of people in the target space. The calculation unit calculates the distance between a plurality of people based on the position information. The control unit performs blower control to control the blower based on the distance calculated by the calculation unit.

As a result, when it can be determined that the risk of infection during communication is low based on the distance between people, energy consumption can be suppressed without controlling the ventilation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space with less energy.

The blower device of the second aspect is the blower device of the first aspect, and the control unit starts the blower control when the distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. In the blow control unit, the control unit increases the amount of air blown by the blower in the blower control as compared with that before the start of the blower control.

As a result, the blower can promote the circulation of air in the target space and reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space.

The blower device of the third aspect is the blower device of the first aspect, and the control unit starts the blower control when the distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and in the blower control, the blower is controlled by the blower. The air is blown between two people whose distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than the threshold value.

As a result, the blower suppresses the scattering of pathogens scattered among people whose distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and the risk of infection during communication in the target space. Can be reduced.

The blower device of the fourth aspect is the blower device of the first aspect, and the control unit starts the blower control when the distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and in the blower control, the blower is controlled by the blower. The air is blown toward two people whose distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than the threshold value.

As a result, in the blower, the pathogens scattered between the people whose distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than the predetermined threshold are scattered by the air flow toward the two people, so that the communication in the target space is performed. The risk of infection at times can be reduced.

The blower device according to the fifth aspect is any of the blower devices according to the first aspect to the fourth aspect, and further includes an air-conditioning unit that adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower. In the ventilation control, the control unit lowers or raises the temperature of the air blown by the blower by the air conditioning unit as compared with that before the start of the ventilation control.

As a result, the blower can make a person whose distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than the threshold value aware that the risk of infection during communication is high.

The blower device of the sixth aspect is any of the blower devices of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, and further includes a ventilation unit for ventilating the target space. In the ventilation control, the control unit increases the ventilation volume by the ventilation unit more than before the start of the ventilation control.

As a result, the blower can promote air circulation and ventilation in the target space when the distance calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space. can.

The blower of the seventh aspect is any of the blowers of the first to sixth aspects, and the detection device includes a range sensor that detects the position of a person.

The blower device of the eighth viewpoint is any of the blower devices of the first to sixth viewpoints, and the detection device includes a camera for photographing the inside of the target space.

It is a schematic block diagram of the blower 1. It is a functional block diagram of the control device 100. It is a flowchart of the control flow executed by the control device 100. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the state which the blower device 1 which concerns on the modification 1A executed the blower control. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the state which the blower device 1 which concerns on the modification 1B executed the blower control. It is a schematic block diagram of a blower device 2. It is a functional block diagram of the control device 101.

<First Embodiment>
(1) Overall Configuration The outline of the blower 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a blower device 1.

The blower device 1 is a device that blows air toward the target space S in order to reduce the risk of infection during communication between people H existing in the room (target space S). The blower device 1 is installed on the ceiling of the target space S.

The target space S is, for example, a conference room. However, the target space S is not limited to the conference room, and may be an office, a store, a house, a school, a fitness club, or the like.

The blower device 1 includes a blower 10, a detection device 20, a control device 100, and a casing 200 for accommodating them. In summary, in the blower 1, the control device 100 controls the blower 10 based on the detection result of the detection device 20.

In the blower device 1, two blowers 10 are installed in the target space S. However, the number of blowers 10 installed in the target space S is an example. The number of blower devices 1 installed in the target space S may be one or three or more.

(2) Detailed Configuration The blower 10, the detection device 20, and the control device 100 of the blower 1 will be described below.

(2-1) Blower The blower 10 is a device that blows air to the target space S. The blower 10 is a blower having an air conditioning function having a fan motor 15, a fan rotor 16, a flap 17, and an air conditioning unit 18a.

(2-1-1) Fan Motor and Fan Rotor The fan motor 15 is a motor having a variable air volume driven by a variable speed motor. The fan motor 15 rotates and drives the fan rotor 16. By rotationally driving the fan rotor 16, an air flow blown to the target space S is generated. The amount of air blown per unit time of the blower 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the amount of air blown) is adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the fan motor 15 by the control device 100. Details of the control of the blower 10 by the control device 100 will be described later.

(2-1-2) Flap The flap 17 adjusts the blowing direction F. The flap 17 adjusts the blowing direction F by being rotated by an actuator (not shown). The actuator is controlled by the control unit 120.

The flap 17 may be composed of a horizontal flap that adjusts the blowing direction in the vertical direction and a vertical flap that adjusts the blowing direction in the left and right directions.

(2-1-3) Air-conditioning unit The air-conditioning unit 18a adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower 10. The air-conditioning unit 18a is a heat exchanger constituting a refrigerant circuit 18 that performs a steam compression refrigeration cycle using a refrigerant. In addition to the air-conditioning unit 18a, the refrigerant circuit 18 includes an indoor expansion valve 18b provided in a refrigerant pipe connected to the air-conditioning unit 18a, a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger housed in an air-conditioning outdoor unit (not shown). The blower 10 having the air conditioning unit 18a is also an air conditioning chamber unit that houses a part of the refrigerant circuit 18. The control unit 120 causes the refrigerant circuit 18 to execute the cooling operation and the heating operation by changing the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning unit 18 by controlling the indoor expansion valve 18b and the compressor.

The air-conditioning unit 18a exchanges heat with the air blown by the blower 10 to generate harmonized air. Specifically, the air conditioning unit 18a functions as a refrigerant evaporator when the cooling operation is executed in the refrigerant circuit 18, and cools the air blown by the blower 10. Further, the air conditioning unit 18a functions as a refrigerant condenser when the heating operation is executed in the refrigerant circuit 18, and heats the air blown by the blower 10. The cooled or heated air is blown to the target space S.

(2-2) Detection device The detection device 20 detects position information which is information about the position of a person H in the target space S. The detection device 20 transmits the detection result as a control signal to the control device 100. The detection device 20 is a range sensor that scans the target space S with a laser or the like and detects the position of the person H in the target space S. However, the detection device 20 is not limited to the range sensor. The detection device 20 may be composed of, for example, an infrared sensor, a camera that captures the inside of the target space S, and a processing unit that detects the position of the person H in the target space S from the image captured by the camera. The detection device 20 may be one unit or a plurality of units.

(2-3) Control device The control device 100 controls the blower 10 based on the detection result of the detection device 20. The control device 100 has a calculation unit 110 and a control unit 120 as functional units. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the control device 100. The control device 100 is electrically connected to the blower 10 so as to be able to transmit and receive control signals to the fan motor 15, the flap 17, and the refrigerant circuit 18 of the blower 10. Further, the control device 100 is electrically connected to the detection device 20 so that the detection result of the detection device 20 can be received.

The control device 100 includes a control calculation device, a storage device, an input device, an output device, a communication control device, and the like (not shown). A processor such as a CPU can be used as the control arithmetic unit. The control arithmetic unit reads a program stored in the storage device and performs a predetermined arithmetic processing according to this program. Further, the control arithmetic unit can write the arithmetic result to the storage device and read the information stored in the storage device according to the program.

(2-3-1) Calculation unit The calculation unit 110 calculates the distance Da between a plurality of people H in the target space S based on the position information detected by the detection device 20 (see FIG. 1). When there are three or more people in the target space S, the calculation unit 110 calculates the distances Da1, Da2, Da3, etc. between the respective people H. In the following, for convenience, the distances Da1, Da2, Da3 ... May be collectively referred to as the distance Da.

The arithmetic unit 110, for example, has a distance between the detection device 20 and the first person H1 and a distance between the detection device 20 and the second person H2 in a plan view of the target space S, and the detection device 20. The distance Da can be calculated using the angle formed by the straight line connecting each of the person H1 and the person H2.

(2-3-2) Control unit The control unit 120 performs blower control to control the blower 10 based on the calculation result of the calculation unit 110. The blast control is a control that promotes the circulation of air in the target space S and reduces the risk of infection during communication in the target space S.

In the blower device 1, the control unit 120 starts the blower control when any one of the distances Da (distance Da1, Da2, Da3 ...) calculated by the calculation unit 110 is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Dt. In the blow control, the control unit 120 increases the rotation speed of the fan motor 15 to increase the amount of blown air by the blower 10 compared to before the start of the blower control. The threshold value Dt is stored in advance in the storage device of the control device 100. The threshold value Dt is a distance at which the risk of infection during communication increases due to the scattering of pathogens such as pathogens and viruses among humans H. The threshold Dt is, for example, 1.5 meters.

(3) Operation of the blower device The operation of the blower device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control flow executed by the control device 100.

The control flow shown in FIG. 3 is started with the activation of the blower device 1.

In step S100, the control device 100 acquires the position information from the detection device 20 and proceeds to step S110.

In step S110, the control device 100 causes the calculation unit 110 to calculate the distance Da using the position information, and proceeds to step S120.

In step S120, the control device 100 causes the control unit 120 to determine whether or not the distance Da calculated by the calculation unit 110 is smaller than the threshold value Dt. If any of the distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt (Yes), the control device 100 proceeds to step S130. Further, the control device 100 proceeds to step S100 when all of the distances Da are equal to or greater than the threshold value Dt (No).

In step S130, the control device 100 causes the control unit 120 to start the ventilation control, and proceeds to step S140. In the blower control, the control unit 120 increases the rotation speed of the fan motor 15 to increase the amount of blown air by the blower 10 as compared with that before the start of the blower control.

In step S140, the control device 100 determines whether or not the ventilation control has been executed for a predetermined time. The control device 100 executes the ventilation control until the predetermined execution time has elapsed (No), and when it is determined that the predetermined execution time has elapsed (Yes), the process proceeds to step S150. The execution time is, for example, about 5 minutes.

In step S150, the control device 100 ends the ventilation control in the control unit 120, and proceeds to step S100.

The above control flow ends when the operation of the blower device 1 is stopped.

(4) Features (4-1)
The blower device 1 includes a blower 10, a detection device 20, a calculation unit 110, and a control unit 120. The blower 10 is installed in the target space S. The detection device 20 detects position information regarding the positions of a plurality of people in the target space S. The calculation unit 110 calculates the distance Da between a plurality of people based on the position information. The control unit 120 performs blower control for controlling the blower 10 based on the distance Da calculated by the calculation unit 110.

The blower device 1 controls the blower according to the distance between the person H in the target space S. Therefore, when it can be determined that the risk of infection during communication is low based on the distance between the person H, the energy consumption can be suppressed without controlling the ventilation. Therefore, according to the blower 1, the risk of infection during communication in the target space S can be reduced with less energy.

(4-2)
The control unit 120 starts the ventilation control when the distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Dt. The control unit 120 increases the amount of air blown by the blower 10 in the blower control as compared with that before the start of the blower control.

As a result, when the distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Dt, the blower device 1 can promote the circulation of air in the target space S and reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space S.

(5) Modification Example The modification of the first embodiment will be described below. Part or all of the content of each variant may be combined with the content of other variants to the extent that they do not contradict each other.

(5-1) Modification 1A
The ventilation control performed by the control unit 120 is not limited to the above embodiment as long as it can promote the circulation of air in the target space S and reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space S.

In the blow control, the control unit 120 may cause the blower 10 to blow air for a predetermined time between two people whose distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt. Specifically, the control unit 120 directs the blowing direction F between two people H whose distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt by rotating the flap 17 by the actuator in the blowing control. When there are three or more people in the target space S, the control unit 120 may execute the ventilation control in ascending order of the values of the distances Da1, Da2, Da3 ....

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a state in which the blower device 1 according to the modified example 1A has executed the blower control. The control flow executed by the control device 100 of the blower device 1 according to the modified example 1A is the same except for the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the contents of step S130. Specifically, the step S130 executed by the control device 100 is as follows.

In step S130, the control device 100 causes the control unit 120 to start the ventilation control. In the blow control, the control unit 120 rotates the flap 17 of the blower 11 by an actuator to direct the blow direction F between two people H whose distance Da is smaller than a predetermined threshold value Dt. The flap 17 is preferably fixed so that the air blown along the flap 17 is blown between the two people H, as shown in FIG.

As a result, the blower 1 suppresses the scattering of pathogens scattered between the person H whose distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Dt toward the person, and the risk of infection during communication in the target space S. Can be reduced.

(5-2) Modification 1B
In the blow control, the control unit 120 may cause the blower 10 to blow air toward two people whose distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt. Specifically, the control unit 120 directs the blowing direction F to the two people H whose distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt by rotating the flap 17 by the actuator in the blowing control. When there are three or more people in the target space S, the control unit 120 may execute the ventilation control in ascending order of the values of the distances Da1, Da2, Da3 ....

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a state in which the blower device 1 according to the modified example 1B has executed the blower control. The control flow executed by the control device 100 of the blower device 1 according to the modified example 1A is the same except for the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the contents of step S130. Specifically, the step S130 executed by the control device 100 is as follows.

In step S130, the control device 100 causes the control unit 120 to start the ventilation control. In the blow control, the control unit 120 rotates the flap 17 of the blower 11 by the actuator to direct the blow direction F to the two people H whose distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Dt. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 120 swings the flap 17 at an angle in a range corresponding to the area so that the air blown out along the flap 17 is blown to the area where the two people H are present. It is preferable to let it.

As a result, in the blower device 1, the pathogens scattered between the people H whose distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold Dt are scattered by the air flow toward the two people, so that the communication in the target space S is communicated. The risk of infection at times can be reduced.

(5-3) Modification 1C
In the ventilation control, the control unit 120 may lower or raise the temperature of the air blown by the blower 10 by the air conditioning unit 18a as compared with that before the start of the ventilation control. Specifically, the control unit 120 controls the refrigerant circuit 18 in the blast control to lower or raise the temperature of the conditioned unit 18a as compared with before the start of the blast control.

As a result, the blower 1 can make the person H, whose distance Da is smaller than the threshold value Dt, notice that the risk of infection during communication is high.

(5-4) Modification 1D
The detection device 20 of the blower device 1 may be installed outside the casing 200 as long as it can detect the position of a person in the target space S. For example, the detection device 20 may be attached to the ceiling or wall surface of the target space S, or may be attached to furniture (for example, a desk or shelf), equipment, or the like installed in the target space S.

(5-5) Modification 1E
The blower device 1 may be installed in a space other than the ceiling of the target space S. For example, the ventilation device 1 may be installed by hanging it on a wall or by suspending it from the ceiling.

(5-6) Modification 1F
The blower 10 of the blower device 1 does not have to have the air conditioning unit 18a. In other words, the blower 10 may be a device such as an air purifier or a circulator that does not have an air conditioning function.

(5-7) Modification 1G
In the first embodiment, each of the plurality of blowers 10 is provided with a control device 100, but the control device 100 may be a centralized controller that controls the plurality of blowers 10. Specifically, when the blower 1 has a plurality of blowers 10, one control device 100 is configured to control the fan motor 15, the flap 17, and the refrigerant circuit 18 of each blower 10. May be good.

<Second Embodiment>
(1) Overall Configuration The outline of the blower device 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of the blower device 2. In the following description, the same or corresponding configurations as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The difference between the blower 1 and the blower 2 is that the blower 11 of the blower 2 further has a ventilation unit 19. The blower device 2 includes a blower 11, a detection device 20, a control device 101, and a casing 200 for accommodating them. In the following, the differences from the blower device 1 will be mainly described.

(2) Detailed configuration (2-1) Blower The blower 11 further includes a ventilation unit 19.

(2-1-1) Ventilation unit The ventilation unit 19 ventilates the target space S. The ventilation unit 19 has an air supply duct 19a and an air supply fan 19b.

The air supply duct 19a is a duct having one end arranged inside the casing 200 and the other end arranged outside the target space S. The air supply fan 19b is a fan provided at the other end of the air supply duct 19a. The air supply fan 19b supplies the air outside the target space S into the air supply duct 19a. As a result, outdoor air is supplied to the inside of the casing 200.

The outdoor air supplied into the casing 200 through the air supply duct 19a is blown to the target space S via the fan rotor 16 and the air conditioning unit 18a. Further, while the outdoor air is supplied to the target space S by using the air supply fan 19b, the air in the target space S is naturally exhausted from the vent 40 communicating with the outside of the target space S, so that the target space S is naturally exhausted. Ventilation is realized.

The ventilation volume per unit time (hereinafter, simply referred to as ventilation volume) by the ventilation unit 19 is adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the fan motor of the air supply fan 19b by the control device 101.

(2-2) Control device The control device 101 controls the blower 11 based on the detection result of the detection device 20. The control device 101 has a calculation unit 110 and a control unit 121 as functional units. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the control device 101. The control device 101 is electrically connected to the blower 11 so that the control signal of the blower 11 can be transmitted and received. The control device 101 is electrically connected to the detection device 20 so that the detection result of the detection device 20 can be received.

(2-2-1) Control unit The control unit 121 controls the blower to control the blower 11 based on the calculation result of the calculation unit 110.

In the blower device 2, in the blower control, the control unit 121 increases the amount of air blown by the blower 11 more than before the start of the blower control, and in addition, increases the amount of ventilation by the ventilation unit 19 from before the start of the blower operation. Also increase.

(3) Operation of the blower device The difference between the operation of the blower device 1 and the operation of the blower device 2 is that, as described above, in the blower control, the amount of blown air by the blower 11 is increased compared to before the start of the blower control. In addition, the ventilation volume by the ventilation unit 19 is increased as compared with that before the start of the ventilation operation. Therefore, the control flow executed by the control device 101 of the blower device 2 is the same except for the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the contents of step S130. Specifically, the step S130 executed by the control device 101 is as follows.

In step S130, the control device 101 causes the control unit 121 to start the ventilation control, and proceeds to step S140. In the ventilation control, the control unit 121 increases the ventilation volume by the ventilation unit 19 more than before the start of the ventilation operation, in addition to increasing the ventilation volume by the blower 11 than before the start of the ventilation control.

(4) Features (4-1)
The blower device 2 further includes a ventilation unit 19 that ventilates the target space S. In the ventilation control, the control unit 121 increases the ventilation volume by the ventilation unit 19 as compared with that before the start of the ventilation control.

As a result, when the distance Da is smaller than the predetermined threshold Dt, the blower device 2 promotes air circulation and ventilation in the target space S, and can reduce the risk of infection during communication in the target space S. can.

(5) Modification example (5-1) Modification example 2A
The ventilation unit 19 may be installed outside the casing 200. Specifically, the ventilation unit 19 may be installed on the ceiling or wall surface of the target space S.

(5-2) Modification 2B
The ventilation unit 19 may be configured to exhaust the air in the target space S to the outside outside the casing 200. In this case, the air outside the target space S is naturally supplied from the ventilation port 40, so that the ventilation of the target space S is realized.

(5-3) Modification 2C
The ventilation unit 19 may be a humidity control unit provided with a humidifying rotor and a humidifying fan (both not shown) at the other end of the air supply duct 19a.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it is understood that the purpose of the present disclosure described in the claims and various changes in the form and details are possible without departing from the scope. There will be.

1, 2 Blowers 10, 11 Blowers 18a Air conditioning unit 19 Ventilation unit 20 Detection device 100, 101 Control device 110 Calculation unit 120, 121 Control unit H Person S Target space F Blower direction

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-219154

Claims (8)

The blower (10) installed in the target space (S) and
A detection device (20) that detects position information regarding the positions of a plurality of people (H) in the target space, and
A calculation unit (110) that calculates a distance (Da) between a plurality of people based on the position information,
A control unit (120) that controls the blower to control the blower based on the distance calculated by the calculation unit.
To prepare
Blower. The control unit
When the distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value (Dt), the ventilation control is started.
In the blower control, the amount of blown air by the blower is increased as compared with that before the start of the blower control.
The blower according to claim 1. The control unit
When the distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the ventilation control is started.
In the blow control, the blower is made to blow air between two people whose distance is smaller than the threshold value.
The blower according to claim 1. The control unit
When the distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the ventilation control is started.
In the blow control, the blower is made to blow toward two people whose distance is smaller than the threshold value.
The blower according to claim 1. Further, an air-conditioning unit (18a) for adjusting the temperature of the air blown by the blower is provided.
The control unit
In the ventilation control, the temperature of the air blown by the blower is lowered or raised by the air-conditioning unit as compared with that before the start of the ventilation control.
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A ventilation unit (19) for ventilating the target space is further provided.
The control unit
In the ventilation control, the ventilation volume by the ventilation unit is increased as compared with that before the start of the ventilation control.
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The detection device is
Including a range sensor that detects the position of the person,
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The detection device is
Including a camera that photographs the inside of the target space,
The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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