JP2022139093A - humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of detecting the stop of flowing water without providing a special flow sensor or the like.SOLUTION: A control unit 45 has voltage detection means 50 of detecting a voltage value between electrodes 64. When the voltage detected by the voltage detection means 50 in an open state of a water supply valve is within a normal range and a voltage drop is equal to or larger than a predetermined value within a predetermined time, a humidifier determines that there is no flowing water at the electrodes 64, and stops the application of a current between the electrodes 64, so that it is possible to detect the stop of flowing water without providing a special flow sensor or the like for detecting the stop of the flowing water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a humidifier for supplying humidified air containing mist to a room.

Conventionally, this type of apparatus has a water storage chamber for storing water in the device body, a mist generating means installed in the water storage chamber for generating humidified air containing mist, and a water supply pipe supplying water to the water storage chamber. A humidifier comprising a water supply valve for controlling water supply to a chamber and an electrode for eluting metal ions in the water supply pipe, wherein when the water level in the water storage chamber drops, the water supply valve is opened and a voltage is applied to the electrode. There is also a device that suppresses sliminess around the water storage chamber by supplying water containing metal ions into the water storage chamber. (For example, Patent Document 1)

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-104103

However, in this conventional system, if the water supply valve is open but the flow of water stops due to a water outage or an opening/closing failure of the water supply valve, the water remains stagnant in the electrode portion, and in this state, the voltage is applied to the electrode. , there is a risk that the outflow of silver ions will be excessive and the consumption efficiency will decrease. In addition, the concentration of metal ions in water increases, forming a film of metal oxide on the electrodes, which may shorten the service life of the electrodes. At the same time, the hydrogen generated by the electrolysis of water may become stagnant and increase in concentration, resulting in a harmful condition. there were.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in claim 1 of the present invention, there is provided a device main body, a water storage chamber in the device main body for storing water, and one end connected to the water storage chamber and a pipe leading to the water storage chamber in the middle of the pipe. A water supply pipe equipped with a water supply valve capable of switching between supply and non-supply of water supply, ion elution means disposed in the middle of the water supply pipe for eluting silver ions, mist generation means for generating mist from the water in the water storage chamber, and the mist generation. controlling a blower fan for blowing humidified air containing mist generated by the mist generating means from a blowing port, and a mist operation for blowing the humidified air containing mist generated by the mist generating means from the blowing port by the blowing fan; a control unit that controls the ion elution means,
The ion elution means is for eluting silver ions from a pair of electrodes arranged in a water flow path in the water supply pipe by applying a constant current when the water supply valve is opened,
The control unit has voltage detection means for detecting a voltage value between the electrodes, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection means when the water supply valve is in an open state is within a normal range and within a predetermined time period and is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. It is characterized by judging that there is no running water in the electrode portion and stopping the application of electric current between the electrodes when it is lowered.

Further, in claim 2, a temperature sensor is provided for detecting the temperature of water supplied to the water storage chamber,
The control unit has current detection means for detecting the value of current flowing between the electrodes, and the voltage value detected by the voltage detection means, the current value detected by the current detection means, and the water detected by the temperature sensor are detected. It is characterized in that it has electrical conductivity calculation means for calculating electrical conductivity from temperature, and that the predetermined value is changed according to the magnitude of the electrical conductivity.

Further, in claim 3, the mist generating means is connected to a rotating body that draws up water in the water storage chamber by rotation and scatters it in the outer peripheral direction, and a drive shaft that rotatably supports the rotating body. It is characterized by comprising a mist motor and a collision body with which the water scattered by the rotating body collides.

According to this invention, the control unit for controlling the ion elution means has the voltage detection means for detecting the voltage value between the electrodes, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection means when the water supply valve is open is within the normal range and within the predetermined range. When the voltage drop exceeds a predetermined value within the time, it is determined that there is no water flow in the electrode part, and the application of current between the electrodes is stopped, so a special flow sensor that detects when the water flow has stopped It is possible to detect the stoppage of water flow even without such a device. Furthermore, consumption efficiency can be improved by preventing excessive outflow of silver ions. Furthermore, it prevents the metal oxide film from forming on the electrode due to the metal ion concentration in the water increasing, which shortens the life of the electrode, and also prevents the hydrogen generated by the electrolysis of water from stagnating and increasing the concentration. be able to.

Further, the control unit for controlling the ion elution means has a current detection means for detecting the value of current flowing between the electrodes. It has an electric conductivity calculation means for calculating the electric conductivity from the temperature of the water measured, and the predetermined value of the voltage drop is changed according to the magnitude of the electric conductivity, so even water quality with different electric conductivity is reliable. It is possible to detect the stoppage of water flow immediately.

In addition, the mist generating means includes a rotating body that rotates to pump up water in the water storage chamber and scatters it in the outer peripheral direction, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft that supports the rotating body so as to be rotatable, and a rotating body. Since it is composed of an impingement body that generates fine mist and large-diameter mist by colliding with scattered water, humidification including mist is achieved by a simple structure in which the water in the water storage chamber is pumped up by a rotating body and impinged on the impingement body. A large amount of air can be generated.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an embodiment of the invention; FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the same embodiment. It is front view sectional drawing explaining the ion elution unit of the same embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation part of the same embodiment. It is a control block diagram of the same embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the operation|movement from the operation|movement start to completion|finish of the same embodiment. It is a graph explaining the change of the voltage between electrodes with respect to time progress of the same embodiment. FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining changes in inter-electrode voltage over time in water quality with higher electrical conductivity than in FIG. 7. FIG. It is a graph explaining the change of the predetermined value with respect to the electrical conductivity of the same embodiment.

Next, a humidifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, "front (front)", "rear (back)", "upper", "lower", "right" and "left" are defined in FIGS. Moreover, the vertical direction corresponds to the vertical direction when the device main body 1 is installed. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction correspond to the horizontal direction when the device main body 1 is installed.

Please refer to FIG. Reference numeral 1 denotes an instrument body; 2, an air blowing port provided with a plurality of louvers 3 formed in the upper part of the instrument body 1 so as to be parallel to the front surface of the instrument body 1; An upper panel 5 is a lower panel forming the front lower part of the instrument main body 1, an operation unit 6 is provided with a plurality of switches and performs various operation commands, and 7 is a breaker cover that hides a breaker (not shown).

Please refer to FIG. Reference numeral 8 denotes a water storage chamber which is located at a substantially middle height position within the apparatus main body 1 and stores a predetermined amount of water. A rotating body 10 having a shape is provided.

The rotating body 10 has a hollow inverted conical shape whose circumference gradually expands upward. The water in the water storage chamber 8 is pumped up by the centrifugal force of the rotation, the water is pushed up through the outer wall and the inner wall of the rotating body 10, and the water pushed up through the outer wall of the rotating body 10 is scattered around. At the same time, the water pushed up along the inner wall of the rotating body 10 is scattered in the outer peripheral direction from a plurality of splash holes (not shown) formed at the upper end of the rotating body 10 .

Numeral 12 is a cylindrical porous body which is positioned at a predetermined interval on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the rotating body 10 and rotates together with the rotating body 10. The porous body 12 has a large number of slits, wire netting, or punching metal on its entire peripheral wall. A porous part 13 is installed as an impact body made of, for example. Further, the rotating body 10, the mist motor 11, and the porous portion 13 constitute mist generating means, and a large amount of humidified air containing mist can be generated with a simple structure. Since it is only to be assembled, the assembly is easy and the cost is low.

The mist motor 11 that constitutes the mist generating section is driven, and the centrifugal force generated by rotating the rotating body 10 draws up the water in the water storage chamber 8 and scatters the air. By crushing water, a large amount of mist with a particle size of nanometers (nm) (hereinafter referred to as fine mist) is generated in a large amount, and water droplets with a relatively large particle size (hereinafter referred to as large mist). is generated, and the fine mist is charged with negative ions due to the Leonard effect due to the miniaturization of water, and the large mist is charged with positive ions.

A blower fan 14 is installed in the lower panel 5 and is driven at a predetermined number of revolutions to suck dry air in the room and blow the air upwards of the fixture body 1. A fan 15 blows the air blown by the blower fan 14. It is an air blowing path that is formed at one end (right side) of the upper part of the water storage chamber 8 and guides it to the water storage chamber inlet 16 that allows air to flow into the water storage chamber 8 through the side surface of the mist motor 11 . The dry air sucked in through the air passage 15 is guided to the upper part of the instrument main body 1 and flows into the water storage chamber 8 .

17 is connected to the other upper end (left side) of the water storage chamber 8 so that the flow path faces vertically upward, and humidified air containing fine mist and large-diameter mist generated in the water storage chamber 8 circulates inside. Passage 18 is a plurality of baffle plates provided in the middle of the air-water separation air passage 17 and having an inclined surface inclined vertically upward as air-water separation means. The baffle plate 18 is composed of a baffle plate 18a installed in the upper stage, a baffle plate 18b installed in the middle stage, and a baffle plate 18c installed in the lower stage in the steam separation air passage 17. As shown in FIG.
When the humidified air flows into the air-water separation air passage 17, the humidified air circulates so as to meander through each baffle plate 18, so that the large-sized mist in the humidified air is separated by the inclined surface, and the separated large-sized mist is separated. When the mist gathers, it flows along the inclined surface to the lower end of the baffle plate 18 under the influence of gravity and falls into the water storage chamber 8, so that the amount of large-diameter mist guided to the blower port 2 is reduced and the fine mist is increased. The contained humidified air is guided to the blower port 2. - 特許庁

A heater 19 is installed in the water storage chamber 8 to heat the stored water, and is turned on/off so that the temperature detected by the stored water temperature sensor 20 installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber 8 to detect the temperature of the stored water becomes a predetermined temperature. The state can be switched as appropriate.

A water level sensor 21 is installed in the water storage chamber 8 and detects the water level as the float moves up and down. When the water level reaches a predetermined level or higher, an ON signal is output, and when the water level further rises and the water storage chamber 8 becomes full, a full water signal is output.

A water supply pipe 22 is connected to the side of the water storage chamber 8 and supplies water into the water storage chamber 8. In the middle of the water supply pipe 22, a solenoid valve is opened and closed to control the water supply to the water storage chamber 8. A valve 23, a pressure reducing valve 24 for reducing the water supply pressure to a predetermined value, and an ion elution unit 61 as ion elution means are provided.

The ion elution unit 61 will be described in detail. Please refer to FIG. The ion elution unit 61 includes a teeth-shaped case 62, a water passage 63 in the case 62 that allows water to flow from an inlet 63a to an outlet 63b, and two silver sheets arranged in the water passage 63 and facing each other. An electrode 64 made of a plate and a terminal 65 located outside the water flow path 63 and having one end connected to the end of the electrode 64 and the other end protruding outside the case 62 are provided.

When a predetermined constant current is applied to the electrode 64 through a lead wire (not shown) connected to the other end of the terminal 65, silver ions, which are metal ions, are eluted from the electrode 64 into water. By supplying the water in which the silver ions are eluted into the water storage chamber 8, the silver ion concentration in the water storage chamber 8 can be maintained at a predetermined target value.

Please refer to FIG. A drain pipe 25 is connected to the bottom of the water storage chamber 8 and drains the water in the water storage chamber 8 to the outside of the instrument main body 1 . A drain valve 26 is provided as a drain switching means for controlling the drain.

A blow temperature sensor 27 is installed on the upper wall surface of the blower port 2 and detects the temperature of the humidified air blown from the blower port 2 toward the room. 29 is a humidity sensor installed near the intake air temperature sensor 28 to detect the humidity in the room where the fixture body 1 is installed, and the temperature detected by each sensor The rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and the blower fan 14 is changed based on the air temperature and humidity, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 is switched.

Please refer to FIG. The operation unit 6 includes an operation switch 30 as operation switching means for instructing the start and stop of the mist operation, and an ON/OFF state of the heater 19 to change the temperature of the water stored in the water storage chamber 8 and the air blow port. 3 humidification levels that change the ratio of the amount of moisture that can be contained in the humidified air blown into the room from 2, and the humidification level is changed so that the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 29 becomes the preset humidity. A humidification switch 31 that can be selected from an automatic mode that allows the humidification to be performed, three stages of air volume levels that can set the rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and the blower fan 14, and the humidity set by the humidity sensor 29 are preset. An air volume switch 32 selectable from an auto mode for changing the air volume level to achieve humidity, a timer changeover switch 33 for setting the start time and stop time of mist operation for supplying humidified air to the room, and the air volume switch An air purification switch 34 for executing an air purification mode in which only the blower fan 14 is driven with the air volume set in 32 to purify the air in the room, a time setting switch 35 for setting the current time, and operation other than operation stop by operating the switch. and a child lock switch 36 for prohibiting the operation of the child.

In addition, a lamp corresponding to each switch is provided on the upper part of each switch of the operation unit 6, and an operation lamp 37 that lights up when the operation switch 30 is operated, and a sterilization operation that starts when the mist operation continues for a predetermined time or longer. A sterilization lamp 38 that lights up at the time, a humidification level lamp 39 that displays the humidification level set by the humidification switch 31 with a numerical value from 1 to 3 and A indicating auto mode, and an air volume level set by the air volume switch 32 at 1 Air volume level lamp 40 displaying a numerical value from 3 to 3 and A indicating auto mode, timer lamp 41 that lights when the start and stop of mist operation are set with timer switch 33, and air purification switch 34 An air purification mode lamp 42 that lights up when the air purification mode is set by operation, a time display panel 43 that displays the current time set by the time setting switch 35, and a child lock lamp 44 that lights up when the child lock switch 36 is operated. is provided.

Please refer to FIG. Reference numeral 45 denotes a control unit composed of a microcomputer for controlling operation contents and opening/closing of valves based on detection values detected by each sensor and setting contents of each switch provided on the operation unit 6 . The controller 45 controls ON/OFF states of the mist motor control means 46 for driving the mist motor 11 at a predetermined rotation speed, the blower fan control means 47 for driving the blower fan 14 at a predetermined rotation speed, and the heater 19 . A heater control means 48 for switching and controlling the water temperature in the reservoir 8 , a constant current circuit 49 for controlling the constant current value applied to the electrodes 64 , and a voltage detection means for detecting the voltage value applied between the electrodes 64 . 50, current detection means 51 for detecting the value of current flowing between the electrodes 64, the voltage value detected by the voltage detection means 50, the current value detected by the current detection means 51, and the stored water temperature detected by the stored water temperature sensor 20. and electrical conductivity calculation means 52 for calculating the conductivity.

The constant current circuit 49 is connected to the electrode 64 after the power supplied from the commercial power supply 80 passes through a DC stabilized power supply circuit such as a rectifier circuit and a switching power supply (not shown).
Also, since the constant current circuit 49 continues to send a constant current to the electrodes 64 regardless of the resistance value between the electrodes 64 , the voltage value detected by the voltage detection means 50 changes according to the resistance value between the electrodes 64 .

Please refer to FIG. A suction port 53 is formed in the front lower portion of the appliance main body 1 and takes in room air into the appliance main body 1 .

Reference numeral 55 denotes a bypass inlet into which air passing through a wall surface of the air-water separation air passage 17 and branching from the air blowing passage 15 to bypass the water storage chamber 8 flows through a bypass passage 54 . The bypass inlet 55 faces the upwardly slanted surface of the baffle plate 18a installed on the uppermost level in the air-water separation air passage 17 closest to the blower port 2, and is located in the air-water separation air passage. 17, and air flows into the air-water separation air passage 17 from the bypass inlet 55, thereby increasing the air volume of the humidified air rising from the water storage chamber 8 and opening the air outlet. 2 can increase the amount of humidified air blown into the room.

Next, the operation from the start to the end of operation in this embodiment will be described based on the flow chart of FIG.
First, when the operation switch 30 of the operation unit 6 is operated or when the operation start time set by the timer switch 33 is reached, the control unit 45 opens the drain valve 26 to drain the water in the water storage chamber 8. Then, when the water level sensor 21 detects an OFF signal, the water supply valve 23 is opened to perform a cleaning operation to flush the inside of the water storage chamber 8 with water. After the drain valve 26 is closed, silver ions are eluted by applying a constant current to the electrode 64 in the ion elution unit 61 , and water containing silver ions is caused to flow into the reservoir 8 via the water supply pipe 22 . When the ON signal is detected by the water level sensor 21, the water supply valve 23 is closed on the assumption that a predetermined amount of water has been supplied into the water storage chamber 8, and a water replacement mode is performed in which the constant current application to the electrode 64 is stopped ( step S101).

After the water replacement mode in step S101 is finished, the controller 45 turns on the heater 19 by the heater control means 48 until the temperature of the stored water detected by the stored water temperature sensor 20 becomes the same as the room temperature. Then, a start-up mode is performed in which a start-up operation controlled by the mist motor control means 46 and the blow fan control means 47 is performed so that the blower fan 14 reaches a predetermined rotational speed (step S102).

After the start-up mode of step S102 ends, the controller 45 causes the mist motor 11 and the blower fan 14 to rotate at a predetermined number of revolutions based on the humidification level and the air volume level set by the humidification switch 31 and the air volume switch 32. The rotation speed is controlled by the mist motor control means 46 and the blower fan control means 47 so as to be driven, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 is switched and controlled by the heater control means 48 to control the humidification level and the air volume level. A normal operation mode is performed in which a mist operation is performed to keep the combined temperature within a predetermined range (step S103).

In this normal operation mode, when the water level in the water storage chamber 8 drops and the water level sensor 21 detects an OFF signal, the controller 45 opens the water supply valve 23 and supplies a predetermined amount of water to the electrode 64 in the ion elution unit 61. A constant current value is applied to supply water containing silver ions of a predetermined concentration into the water storage chamber 8 . As a result, the water in the water storage chamber 8 has an antibacterial action, and sliminess around the water storage chamber 8 can be suppressed.

When it is determined that the operation switch 30 has been operated during the normal operation mode in step S103 and an instruction to end the operation has been issued, the control unit 45 stops the mist motor 11 and then opens the drain valve 26 to After the water is drained, the water supply valve 23 is opened after a predetermined time has passed, and a constant current is applied to the electrode 64 in the ion elution unit 61 to wash the inside of the water storage chamber 8, and then the drain valve 26 is closed to store the water. A water exchange operation is performed to store a predetermined amount of water in the room 8 . After that, a sterilization operation is performed for a predetermined period of time to sterilize the water by turning on the heater 19 and heating the water. When the temperature drops below a predetermined temperature, the drain valve 26 is opened to perform a cleaning mode in which water is drained (step S104).

After the cleaning mode in step S104 is finished, the control unit 45 controls the blower fan control means 47 so that the blower fan 14 is driven at a predetermined number of revolutions (800 rpm, for example), and blows air into the water storage chamber 8 and the blower path 15. A drying mode is performed to prevent the growth of bacteria by drying the air with the air (step S105). to stop the operation.

Next, details of control for determining that there is no running water by detecting the voltage between the electrodes 64 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 shows changes in the voltage between the electrodes 64 over time in water having a certain electrical conductivity.

In the normal operation mode, when the water supply valve 23 is opened by a command from the control unit 45 and a constant current is applied to the electrodes 64 in the ion elution unit 61, a voltage Va1 is detected between the electrodes 64. there is At this time, if the flowing water is normal at the electrode 64, there is no abnormality in the electrode 64 itself, and there is no abnormality in the electric circuit (not shown) that supplies a constant current to the electrode 64, the electrical conductivity of the flowing water is almost constant. , and does not change significantly, the voltage Va1 between the electrodes 64 is substantially constant.

On the other hand, when the flow of water at the electrode 64 stops at time t1 due to a water outage or an opening/closing failure of the water supply valve 23, the control unit 45 continues to send an open command to the water supply valve 23 and to continue to apply a constant current to the electrode 64. Silver ions continue to be eluted from the ion elution unit 61 . At this time, since the silver ions are stagnant around the electrodes 64, the electrical conductivity between the electrodes 64 is large and the resistance is small. At t2, it drops to Va2.

Here, the voltage Va1 between the electrodes 64 during normal water flow and the voltage Va2 between the electrodes 64 that has decreased due to the stoppage of water flow are values within the normal voltage range. That is, in FIG. 7, the range is smaller than Vmax, which is the upper limit of the abnormality detection threshold, and larger than Vmin, which is the lower limit of the abnormality detection threshold. The abnormality detected by Vmax is a voltage rise caused by consumption of the electrode 64, and the abnormality detected by Vmin is a voltage drop caused by a short circuit of an electric circuit (not shown) that supplies a constant current to the electrode 64. is.

At this time, the control unit 45 detects that the voltages Va1 and Va2 detected by the voltage detection means 51 are within the normal voltage range, and the voltage drop ΔVa=Va1−Va2 within the predetermined time Δt=t2−t1 reaches the predetermined value. If it is equal to or higher than Vs1, it is determined that the flow of water at the electrode 64 has stopped. As a result, it is possible to detect that the water has stopped flowing without using a flow sensor or the like for detecting the presence or absence of water flowing in the water supply pipe 22 . Furthermore, after detecting the stoppage of water flow, the control unit 45 stops the application of the constant current to the electrode 64, thereby preventing an excessive amount of outflow of silver ions and reducing the amount of hydrogen generated by the electrolysis of water. can be prevented from stagnating and increasing the concentration of hydrogen.

Next, the details of control for changing the predetermined voltage drop value according to the magnitude of the electrical conductivity of the electrode 64 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 8 shows changes in the voltage across the electrodes 64 over time in water quality with higher electrical conductivity than in FIG.

In FIG. 8, the voltage Vb1 between the electrodes 64 during normal water flow is smaller than Va1 in FIG. This is because the electrical conductivity between the electrodes 64 in FIG. 8 is greater and the resistance is smaller, so that the voltage Vb1 in the normal state is smaller. Here, when the water flow at the electrodes 64 stops at time t1, a voltage drop ΔVb=Vb1−Vb2 occurs as in the case of FIG. ΔVb is smaller than ΔVa in FIG. 7 because the resistance is small. In addition, Vs2, which is a predetermined value for determining whether the water flow has been stopped by the control unit 45, is also smaller than Vs1 in FIG. 7 based on the same concept.

In other words, in order for the control unit 45 to reliably determine water flow stop even when the water quality is different in electrical conductivity, it is necessary to change the predetermined value Vs of the voltage drop according to the magnitude of the electrical conductivity.

Therefore, using the relationship shown in FIG. 9, the predetermined value Vs of the voltage drop is set according to the electrical conductivity κ of water. That is, by increasing the predetermined value Vs when the electrical conductivity κ is small and decreasing the predetermined value Vs when the electrical conductivity κ is large, even when the quality of the water supplied to the water storage chamber 8 is different, It is possible to reliably detect the stoppage of flowing water.

The electric conductivity κ is calculated by the electric conductivity calculating means 52 in the control section 45 . The electrical conductivity calculation means 52 calculates the voltage value detected by the voltage detection means 50 when a constant current is applied to the electrode 64, the current value detected by the current detection means 51, and the The electric conductivity κ is calculated using the stored water temperature detected by the stored water temperature sensor 20 . From the calculated electrical conductivity κ, a predetermined voltage drop value Vs is determined according to FIG.

Also, the relationship between the electrical conductivity κ and the predetermined value Vs of the voltage drop in FIG. 9 can be obtained experimentally. That is, the actual electrical conductivity κ is calculated by the above-described calculation method by the electrical conductivity calculating means 52 for water of water quality having different electrical conductivity, and on the other hand, in a state where the water flow is stopped, a constant current is applied to the electrode 64. is applied and the amount of voltage drop between the electrodes 64 is detected by the voltage detection means 50, the relationship between the electrical conductivity κ and the predetermined value Vs of the voltage drop can be obtained.

As described above, the control unit 45 has the voltage detection means 50 for detecting the voltage value between the electrodes 64. When the water supply valve is open, the voltage detected by the voltage detection means 50 is within a normal range and within a predetermined time. When the voltage drop is more than the value, it is determined that there is no water flow in the electrode 64, and by stopping the current application between the electrodes 64, the stop of the water flow can be detected without a special flow sensor or the like. can do. Furthermore, consumption efficiency can be improved by preventing excessive outflow of silver ions. Furthermore, it prevents the metal oxide film from forming on the electrode due to the metal ion concentration in the water increasing, which shortens the life of the electrode, and also prevents the hydrogen generated by the electrolysis of water from stagnating and increasing the concentration. be able to.

Further, the control unit 45 has a current detection means 51 for detecting the value of the current flowing between the electrodes 64. The voltage value detected by the voltage detection means 50, the current value detected by the current detection means 51, and the stored water temperature sensor 20 are detected. The water supplied to the water storage chamber 8 is electrically Even if the conductivity of the water is different, the stoppage of water flow can be reliably detected.

Instead of the stored water temperature sensor 20, a water supply temperature sensor may be provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 22 as means for detecting the temperature of the water supplied to the water storage chamber 8. FIG.

Moreover, it is desirable that the calculation of the electrical conductivity by the electrical conductivity calculation means 52 is performed from the start of the operation to immediately after the start of the normal operation mode S103. In other words, by calculating the electrical conductivity at the initial stage of starting operation, it is possible to reliably detect the stoppage of water flow when it occurs during normal operation.

Further, in FIG. 9, the relationship between the electrical conductivity κ and the predetermined value Vs of the voltage drop is represented by a substantially straight line. good.

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

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 appliance main body 8 water storage chamber 10 rotor 11 mist motor 13 porous portion (collision body)
14 Blower fan 20 Water storage temperature sensor (temperature sensor)
22 water supply pipe 23 water supply valve 45 control section 50 voltage detection means 51 current detection means 52 electrical conductivity calculation means 61 ion elution unit (ion elution means)
64 electrodes

Claims (3)

a device body, a water storage chamber in the device body for storing water, a water supply pipe having one end connected to the water storage chamber and equipped with a water supply valve that can switch whether or not water is supplied to the water storage chamber in the middle of the pipe, Ion eluting means arranged in the water supply pipe for eluting silver ions, mist generating means for generating mist from the water in the water storage chamber, and humidified air containing the mist generated by the mist generating means is blown from an air blowing port. a fan, and a control unit that controls a mist operation in which humidified air containing mist generated by the mist generating means is blown from the blowing port by the blowing fan, and controls the ion elution means,
The ion elution means is for eluting silver ions from a pair of electrodes arranged in a water flow path in the water supply pipe by applying a constant current when the water supply valve is opened,
The control unit has voltage detection means for detecting a voltage value between the electrodes, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection means when the water supply valve is in an open state is within a normal range and within a predetermined time period and is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A humidifying device characterized by determining that there is no running water in the electrode portion and stopping the application of current between the electrodes when it is low. A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of water supplied to the water storage chamber,
The control unit has current detection means for detecting the value of current flowing between the electrodes, and the voltage value detected by the voltage detection means, the current value detected by the current detection means, and the water detected by the temperature sensor are detected. 2. The humidifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising electrical conductivity calculation means for calculating electrical conductivity from temperature, wherein said predetermined value is changed according to the magnitude of said electrical conductivity. The mist generating means includes a rotating body that rotates to pump up water in the water storage chamber and scatters it in an outer peripheral direction, a mist motor connected to a drive shaft that rotatably supports the rotating body, and the rotating body. 3. The humidifying device according to claim 1, further comprising a collision body with which the water scattered by the water collides.

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