JP2023141016A - humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a humidifier capable of effectively using water with water exchange operation, and capable of suppressing scale precipitation.SOLUTION: At predetermined operation start timing at which water exchange operation is performed, when a predetermined time A or a time B from start to end of previous water exchange operation and the remaining time C until an operation stop time have a relation of A≥C or B≥C, it is possible to save water that would have been supplied during the water exchange operation by continuing operation without performing the water exchange operation, so that it is possible to reduce water usage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a humidifier that supplies humidified air into a room.

Conventionally, this kind of device has a water storage tank that stores water in the main body of the device, a mist generation means installed in the water storage tank that generates humidified air containing mist, and a ventilation port that sends the humidified air generated by the mist generation means. In a humidifier equipped with a fan that blows air from the room into the room, a water supply pipe that supplies water to a water storage chamber, and a drain pipe that drains water from the water storage chamber to the outside of the device body,
There is a system that prevents scale from accumulating in a water storage tank by replacing the water at an appropriate time and discharging the scale, whose amount increases in proportion to the amount of water flowing into the tank. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP 2019-143858 Publication

However, with this conventional method, when the humidifying operation stops due to reaching the maximum humidifying operation time while performing water replacement operation, or when the operation stops due to reaching the stop time set with the timer changeover switch. In this case, the water that had just been replaced was immediately drained when the operation was stopped, and the replaced water was not effectively used, so there was room for improvement.

In order to solve the above problems, the humidifying device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a device main body, a water storage chamber located within the device main body for storing water, and a lower end submerged in the water storage chamber to pump up water by rotation. A cylindrical rotating body that scatters, a mist motor that rotationally drives the rotating body, a collision body that generates mist by colliding water scattered by the rotation of the rotation body, and a mist generated by the collision body. a blower fan that blows humidified air from an air outlet; a water level detection means that detects a water level in the water storage chamber; and a water supply valve that has one end connected to the water storage chamber and can switch between supplying water to the water storage chamber in the middle of piping. a drain pipe having one end connected to the water storage chamber and having a drain valve in the middle of the piping that can switch whether or not water in the water storage chamber is drained; and humidified air containing mist generated in the water storage chamber. a control unit that controls a mist operation in which air is blown from the air outlet by the ventilation fan, and the control unit controls the water supply valve and the A water exchange operation is performed in which the water in the water storage chamber is replaced by opening the drain valve, and the operation is stopped when a preset operation stop time arrives, and at the predetermined operation start timing, a predetermined operation is performed. If the time A or the time B from the start to the end of the water replacement operation performed last time and the remaining time C until the operation stop time are in the relationship A≧C or B≧C, the water replacement operation is performed. It is characterized by the fact that it continues to operate without stopping.

Further, in the humidifying device according to claim 2, when the controller continues the operation without performing the water replacement operation, the control section lowers the rotation speed of the mist motor and/or the blower fan to continue the operation. It is characterized by

The humidifier according to claim 3 further includes a water storage temperature sensor installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber to detect the storage water temperature, and a storage water temperature sensor installed in the water storage chamber to heat the storage water and to detect the storage water temperature detected by the storage water temperature sensor. a heater that changes its ON/OFF state to reach a predetermined temperature, and the control unit switches the ON/OFF state of the heater when the operation continues without performing the water replacement operation. The system is characterized in that the storage water temperature is lowered and operation is continued.

In the humidifying device according to claim 4, the predetermined operation start timing is a timing at which a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of operation or the end of the previous water replacement operation, or a timing from the start of operation or the end of the previous water replacement operation. The timing is characterized in that the timing is when the amount of water supplied to the water storage chamber reaches a predetermined value.

According to this invention, at a predetermined operation start timing for carrying out a water exchange operation, the predetermined time A or the time B from the start to the end of the previously executed water exchange operation and the remaining time C until the operation stop time are A If the relationship is ≧C or B≧C, by continuing the operation without performing the water exchange operation, the water that would have been supplied during the water exchange operation can be saved, so the amount of water used can be reduced. I can do it.

In addition, when the control unit continues operation without performing a water replacement operation, by lowering the rotation speed of the mist motor and/or blower fan and continuing operation, the amount of humidification generated decreases and the water level decreases. Since the decrease is suppressed, new water supply is suppressed, and therefore it is possible to suppress the increase in calcium carbonate concentration in the water storage chamber and suppress the precipitation of scale.

In addition, when continuing operation without performing a water replacement operation, the control unit can lower the storage water temperature and continue operation by switching the heater ON/OFF. The solubility of calcium carbonate in certain water increases, making it difficult for scale to precipitate, making it possible to suppress scale precipitation.

In addition, the predetermined operation start timing is the timing when a certain time has elapsed since the start of operation or the end of the previous water exchange operation, or the time when the amount of water supplied to the water storage chamber has reached a predetermined value since the start of operation or the end of the previous water exchange operation. By setting the timing to reach , it is possible to make the predetermined operation start timing for implementing the water replacement operation more accurate, and to reliably suppress scale precipitation due to constraints on operating time and water supply amount.

A perspective view illustrating the appearance of an embodiment of this invention Schematic configuration diagram of the embodiment Control block diagram of the embodiment Diagram explaining the operation unit of the same embodiment Flowchart explaining the operation from start to end of the same embodiment Flowchart explaining the water replacement operation of the embodiment Flowchart explaining the water replacement operation of the second embodiment Flowchart illustrating water replacement operation of the third embodiment Flowchart explaining water replacement operation of the fourth embodiment Diagram showing the relationship between the solubility of calcium carbonate in water and water temperature

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

In the following description, "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "right", and "left" follow the definitions in FIGS. 1 and 2. Further, the vertical direction corresponds to the vertical direction when the instrument main body 1 is installed. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction correspond to the horizontal direction when the instrument main body 1 is installed.

Reference numeral 1 designates the main body of the device; 2 designates an air outlet in which a plurality of louvers 3 are formed on the top of the device body 1 so as to be parallel to the front surface of the device body 1; and 4 constitutes the upper front surface of the device body 1. An upper surface panel 5 is a lower surface panel constituting the front lower part of the main body 1, 6 is an operation section provided with a plurality of switches and performs various operation commands, and 7 is a breaker cover that hides a breaker (not shown).

Reference numeral 8 denotes a water storage chamber that is located at approximately the middle height within the device body 1 and stores a predetermined amount of water. A rotating body 10 having a shape is provided.

The rotary body 10 has a hollow inverted conical shape and the circumference gradually increases toward the top.The rotary body 10 drives a mist motor 11 that is connected to the drive shaft 9 and rotates the rotary body 10. 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 and inner walls of the rotating body 10, and the water that is pushed up through the outer wall of the rotating body 10 is scattered around. At the same time, the water pushed up through the inner wall of the rotating body 10 is scattered toward the outer circumference from a plurality of splash ports (not shown) formed at the upper end of the rotating body 10.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a cylindrical porous body that is positioned at a predetermined distance on the outer periphery of the upper part of the rotating body 10 and rotates together with the rotating body 10. The porous body 12 has many slits, wire mesh, or punched metal on its entire peripheral wall. A porous portion 13 is installed as an impacting body made of a material such as a material. Further, the rotating body 10, the mist motor 11, and the porous portion 13 constitute a mist generating device as a mist generating means, and a large amount of humidified air containing mist can be generated with a simple configuration. Since the drive shaft 9 and the drive shaft 9 are simply assembled, the assembly is easy and the cost is low.

The mist motor 11 constituting the mist generator is driven, and the rotating body 10 is rotated, which generates a centrifugal force that pumps up the water in the water storage chamber 8 and scatters the air, so that the water droplets that have passed through the porous portion 13 are By being crushed, water is made fine and a large amount of mist with nanometer (nm) particle size (hereinafter referred to as fine mist) is generated, as well as water droplets with relatively large particle size (hereinafter referred to as large diameter mist). is generated, and the fine mist is charged with negative ions due to the Lennard effect due to the fineness of water, and the large-diameter mist is charged with positive ions.

Reference numeral 14 is a blower fan installed in the lower panel 5 and driven at a predetermined rotational speed to suck indoor dry air and blow it upward in the appliance main body 1; It is a ventilation path that is formed at one end (right side) of the upper part of the water storage chamber 8 and guides the air to the water storage chamber inlet 16 through which air can flow into the water storage chamber 8 through the side surface of the mist motor 11. The dry air sucked in from the air passage 15 passes through the air passage 15, is guided to the upper part of the device main body 1, and flows into the water storage chamber 8.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a steam/water separation wind which is connected to the other end (left side) above the water storage chamber 8 so that the flow path faces vertically upward, and through which humidified air containing fine mist and large-diameter mist generated in the water storage chamber 8 circulates. Numeral 18 denotes a plurality of baffle plates as air/water separation means, which are installed in the middle of the air/water separation air path 17 and have inclined surfaces that slope vertically upward. The baffle plate 18 includes a baffle plate 18a installed at the upper level in the air-water separation air passage 17, a baffle plate 18b installed at the middle level, and a baffle plate 18c installed at the lower level.
When humidified air flows into the air/water separation air passage 17, the humidified air flows in a meandering manner through each baffle plate 18, and the large-diameter mist in the humidified air is separated by the inclined surface, resulting in separated large-diameter mist. When collected, it flows along the slope to the lower end of the baffle plate 18 under the influence of gravity and falls into the water storage chamber 8. This reduces the amount of large-diameter mist guided to the air outlet 2 and increases the amount of fine mist. The humidified air is guided to the air outlet 2.

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 water storage temperature sensor 20, which is installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber 8 and detects the temperature of the stored water, reaches a predetermined temperature. The state can be switched as appropriate.

A water level sensor 21 is installed in the water storage chamber 8 and serves as a water level detection means that detects the water level by moving a float up and down, and determines the lower limit water level and the upper limit water level. The water level sensor 21 outputs an OFF signal when the water level in the water storage chamber 8 decreases to below the lower limit water level, and outputs an ON signal when the water level rises to exceed the upper limit water level.

Note that when the water level in the water storage chamber 8 falls below the lower limit water level, it becomes difficult for the rotating body 10 to suck up water, and the amount of fine mist and negative ions generated decreases, reducing the amount of humidified air released into the room. will decrease.
Furthermore, when the water level in the water storage chamber 8 exceeds the upper limit water level, the load on the rotation of the rotating body 10 increases due to the viscous resistance of the water, which places a load on the mist motor 11, leading to a reduction in product life.
From the above, by keeping the water level in the water storage chamber 8 within the range from the lower limit water level to the upper limit water level, it is possible to ensure the amount of water sucked up by the rotating body 10 and to prevent an increase in the load on the mist motor 11.

22 is a water supply pipe that is connected to the side surface 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 whether or not water is supplied to the water storage chamber 8. A water supply valve 23 and a pressure reducing valve 24 that reduces the water supply pressure to a predetermined value are provided.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a drain pipe that is connected via a drain port provided at the bottom of the water storage chamber 8 and drains the water in the water storage chamber 8 to the outside of the appliance main body 1. A solenoid valve is installed in the middle of the drain pipe 25. A drain valve 26 is provided as a drain switching means that opens and closes to control whether or not the water in the water storage chamber 8 is drained.

A temperature sensor 27 is installed on the upper wall of the air outlet 2 and detects the temperature of the humidified air blown into the room from the air outlet 2. A temperature sensor 28 is installed near the air fan 14 and is sucked in from the bottom of the appliance body 1. 29 is a humidity sensor installed near the intake air temperature sensor 28 and detects the humidity in the room where the appliance body 1 is installed, and the temperature detected by each sensor is The rotational speed of the mist motor 11 and the ventilation fan 14 are changed based on the temperature and humidity, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 is switched.

The operation unit 6 includes an operation switch 30 as an operation switching means for instructing the start and stop of the mist operation, and an operation switch 30 that changes the temperature of water stored in the water storage chamber 8 by switching the ON/OFF state of the heater 19. There are three levels of humidification in which the proportion of moisture that can be contained in the humidified air blown into the room from 2 is changed, and the humidification level is changed so that the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 29 becomes a preset humidity. A humidifying switch 31 that can be selected from an auto mode that allows the user to use the air, three air volume levels that can set the rotational speed of the mist motor 11 and the blower fan 14, and humidity set by the humidity sensor 29 is preset. An air volume switch 32 that can be selected from an auto mode that changes the air volume level to achieve humidity, a timer changeover switch 33 that sets the start time and stop time of a mist operation that supplies humidified air indoors, and the air volume switch An air purification switch 34 executes an air purification mode that cleans the indoor air by driving only the blower fan 14 with the air volume set in 32, and a time setting switch 35 that sets the current time. A child lock switch 36 is provided to prohibit the operation of the child lock switch 36.

In addition, the upper part of each switch of the operation part 6 is equipped with a lamp corresponding to each switch, and there is 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 more. a sterilization lamp 38 that lights up when the humidification level is set with the humidification switch 31, a humidification level lamp 39 that displays the humidification level set with the humidification switch 31 as a numerical value from 1 to 3 and A indicating auto mode, and a humidification level lamp 39 that displays the humidification level set with the air volume switch 32 as When the start and stop of the mist operation is set using the air volume level lamp 40, which displays numerical values from 3 to 3 and A indicating auto mode, and the timer selector switch 33, the timer lamp 41, which lights up the respective lamps, and the air purification switch 34 turn on. An air cleaning mode lamp 42 that lights up when the air cleaning 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.

Reference numeral 45 denotes a control unit composed of a microcomputer that controls operation details and opening/closing of valves based on the detection values detected by each sensor and the settings of each switch provided on the operation unit 6. The mist motor control means 46 drives the fan 14 at a predetermined rotation speed, the blower fan control means 47 drives the blower fan 14 at a predetermined rotation speed, and the water temperature in the water storage chamber 8 is controlled by switching ON/OFF states of the heater 19. A heater control means 48 for controlling the heating is provided.

Reference numeral 49 denotes an intake port formed at the lower front of the appliance body 1 to take indoor air into the appliance body 1.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a bypass inlet into which air flowing through a bypass path 50 that penetrates the wall surface of the air-water separation air path 17, branches from the air blow path 15, and bypasses the water storage chamber 8 can flow therein. The bypass inlet 51 faces an upwardly inclined inclined surface of a baffle plate 18a installed at the top of the air-water separation air passage 17 located at a position closest to the air outlet 2, and It is formed so as to penetrate the wall surface of the air outlet 17, and when air flows into the air/water separation air passage 17 from the bypass inlet 51, the volume of humidified air rising from the water storage chamber 8 is increased. It is possible to increase the amount of humidified air blown into the room from 2.

Next, the operation from the start to the end of operation in this embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 5.
First, when the operation switch 30 of the operation unit 6 is operated or the operation start time set by the timer changeover switch 33 has arrived, the control unit 45 opens the drain valve 26 to drain the water in the water storage chamber 8. When an OFF signal is detected by the water level sensor 21, the water supply valve 23 is opened to perform a cleaning operation to flush the inside of the water storage chamber 8 with water, and after a predetermined period of time, the drain valve 26 is closed to prevent water from flowing in from the water supply valve 23. water is supplied into the water storage chamber 8, and when an ON signal is detected by the water level sensor 21, a cleaning mode is performed in which the water supply valve 23 is closed, assuming that a predetermined amount of water has been supplied into the water storage chamber 8 (step S101). .

When the cleaning mode in step S101 is finished, the control unit 45 turns on the heater 19 with the heater control means 48 until the stored water temperature detected by the stored water temperature sensor 20 becomes the same value as the room temperature, and the mist motor 11 and A start-up mode is performed in which a start-up operation is controlled by the mist motor control means 46 and the blower fan control means 47 so that the blower fan 14 reaches a predetermined rotation speed (step S102).

When the start-up mode in step S102 ends, the control unit 45 controls the mist motor 11 and the blower fan 14 to operate at a predetermined rotation speed based on the humidification level and 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 drive the heater 19, and the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 is switched and controlled by the heater control means 48 to adjust the humidification level and the air volume level. A normal operation mode is performed in which a mist operation is performed to keep the temperature within the predetermined temperature range (step S103).

Further, if the control unit 45 determines that the water level in the water storage chamber 8 becomes below the lower limit water level and the water level sensor 21 outputs an OFF signal during the misting operation, the control unit 45 opens the water supply valve 23 to allow water to flow into the water storage chamber 8. When the water level in the water storage chamber 8 reaches the upper limit water level and the water level sensor 21 outputs an ON signal, the water supply valve 23 is closed to stop the water supply to the water storage chamber 8. , Implement stable water level maintenance control to maintain a water level that allows continuous mist operation.

Further, when the control unit 45 determines that a predetermined operation start timing has been reached, the misting operation is stopped, the drain valve 26 is opened, and the water in the water storage chamber 8 is drained. When the predetermined water supply time has elapsed, the drain valve 26 is closed and the water supply valve 23 is opened to start supplying water into the water storage chamber 8, and when the upper limit water level is detected by the water level sensor 21 or the predetermined water supply time has elapsed. Once the determination is made, the operation of closing the water supply valve 23 is repeated a predetermined number of times, and a water replacement operation is performed in which the mist motor 11 and the ventilation fan 14 are driven.

In addition, in the water replacement operation, while continuing the mist operation, the opening and closing of the water supply valve 23 and the drain valve 26 are controlled so that the water level in the water storage chamber 8 is within the range from the lower limit water level to the upper limit water level based on the detected value by the water level sensor 21. By doing so, it is also possible to perform the water replacement operation without stopping the mist operation. By performing this water replacement operation, the inside of the water storage chamber 8 is cleaned and scale precipitation is prevented from occurring.

The time that has elapsed since the start of the normal operation mode in step S103 has reached the maximum humidifying operation time of 16 hours, or the operation switch 30 has been operated during the normal operation mode, or the timer switch 33 has been set. When it is determined that the stop time has come and there has been an instruction to end the mist operation, the control unit 45 stops the mist motor 11, opens the drain valve 26, drains the water in the water storage chamber 8, and waits for a predetermined period of time to pass. Then, the water supply valve 23 is opened to clean the inside of the water storage chamber 8, and the drain valve 26 is closed to perform a cleaning operation in which a predetermined amount of water is stored in the water storage chamber 8.Then, the heater 19 is turned on. A sterilization operation is performed for 10 minutes to heat the water to around 65°C to sterilize it, and after 10 minutes, a cooling operation is performed to cool the inside of the water storage chamber 8. When the water storage temperature becomes less than 60°C, the drain valve is closed. A cleaning mode is performed in which the valve 26 is opened to drain water (step S104).

When the cleaning mode in step S104 ends, the control unit 45 shifts to the drying mode (step S105), and controls the blower fan control means 47 to drive the blower fan 14 at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 800 rpm), A drying operation is performed in which the blower fan 14 is continued to be driven for a predetermined period of time (for example, 3 hours), and when it is determined that 3 hours have elapsed, the blower fan 14 is stopped and the operation is ended.

Next, in the normal operation mode of this embodiment, when the predetermined operation start timing to perform the water replacement operation has come, FIG. 6 shows the effect when the operation is continued without performing the water replacement operation. I will explain based on this.

In the normal operation mode, the control unit 45 determines whether a predetermined operation start timing at which the water replacement operation should be performed has been reached (step S201). Here, the predetermined operation start timing is a timing determined to prevent scale precipitation from occurring.

If it is determined in step S201 that it is the timing to perform the water replacement operation, the control unit 45 determines whether the time elapsed since the start of the normal operation mode reaches 16 hours, which is the maximum humidification operation time, and the operation is stopped or the timer is switched. The current remaining time C until the stop time or stop time set with the switch 33 is reached is calculated, and it is determined whether the remaining time C is less than or equal to the predetermined time A (S202), and if A≧C, the water is replaced. The operation continues without any action (S203). Here, the predetermined time A is the initial value of the time from the start to the end of water replacement (water replacement time B), and is, for example, 10 minutes. Further, the operation continues in the normal operation mode based on the set humidification level and air volume level.

In this way, at the timing when the water exchange operation should be performed, if the remaining time until the operation is stopped is short and the water exchange operation time is less than the water exchange operation time, the water exchange operation will not be performed and water will not be supplied to the water storage chamber 8. It is possible to save water that would otherwise have been used, and reduce water usage.
For example, if there are 9 minutes remaining until the operation is stopped at the time when the water exchange operation should be performed, and if the water exchange operation time is set to 10 minutes, the water exchange operation will be started to drain and supply water. After the operation is stopped, the water is drained and water is supplied again in the washing operation that is performed after the stoppage, so there is waste in that the water that was just supplied in the water exchange operation is drained without being used in the mist operation. However, if the water replacement operation is not performed in this case, water waste can be reduced.

After continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation in step S203, it is determined whether the operation stop time has been reached (S204), and when the operation stop time has been reached, the operation is stopped (S205). After the operation is stopped, the above-mentioned cleaning operation is performed to implement the cleaning mode.

On the other hand, in step S202, if A<C, that is, if the remaining time C is greater than the predetermined time A, the water replacement operation is started (S206), and a timer count for the water replacement time B is started ( S207). In the water replacement operation, as described above, by repeatedly draining and supplying water in the water storage chamber 8, the inside of the water storage chamber 8 is cleaned and the precipitation of scale is prevented.

When the water replacement operation ends (S208), the control unit 45 ends the timer count of the water replacement time B and stores it (S209). After that, mist operation in normal operation mode is performed.

Then, during the normal operation, it is determined whether or not a predetermined operation start timing to perform the water replacement operation again is reached (step S210), and if it is determined that it is the timing to perform the water replacement operation, the control unit 45 , it is determined whether the remaining time C until the operation is stopped is less than or equal to the stored water replacement time B (S211), and if B≧C, the operation is continued without performing the water replacement operation (S203). ).

In step S211, if B<C, that is, if the remaining time C is greater than the water replacement time B, the water replacement operation is started (S212), and after resetting the timer count for the water replacement time B, Counting is started (S213).

When the water replacement operation is completed (S214), the timer count for the water replacement time B is finished, updated, and stored (S215). Thereafter, the determination in step S210 is repeated while performing mist operation in the normal operation mode.

Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, when continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation, the operation and effect when the rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and/or the blower fan 14 is lowered and the operation is continued. will be explained based on FIG. Note that the same step numbers are used for the same steps as in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, when it is determined in step S201 that it is the timing to perform the water replacement operation, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 45 calculates the remaining time C until the operation is stopped, and the remaining time C is determined to be a predetermined time. It is determined whether the time is less than or equal to time A (S202), and if A≧C, the operation is continued without performing a water replacement operation.

At this time, instead of continuing the operation in the normal operation mode based on the set air volume level, the operation is continued with the air volume level lowered, that is, the rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and/or the blower fan 14 is lowered. (S303).

In other words, by lowering the rotation speed of the mist motor 11, the amount of humidified air containing a large amount of fine mist is generated, and by lowering the rotation speed of the blower fan 14, the humidified air is blown into the room from the air outlet 2. Since the amount of air blown can be reduced, the amount of water used in the water storage chamber 8 can be reduced, and a drop in the water level can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the water level in the water storage chamber 8 from falling below the lower limit water level and the opportunity for new water to be supplied, thereby suppressing an increase in the concentration of calcium carbonate in the water storage chamber and suppressing scale precipitation. .

Next, as a third embodiment of the present invention, when continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation, by switching the ON/OFF state of the heater 19, the storage water temperature is lowered and the operation is continued. The effects will be explained based on FIGS. 8 and 10. Note that the same step numbers are used for the same steps as in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, when it is determined in step S201 that it is the timing to perform the water replacement operation, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 45 calculates the remaining time C until the operation is stopped, and the remaining time C is determined to be a predetermined time. It is determined whether the time is less than or equal to time A (S202), and if A≧C, the operation is continued without performing a water replacement operation.

At this time, instead of continuing the operation in the normal operation mode based on the set humidification level, the operation is performed at a lower humidification level, that is, by switching the ON/OFF state of the heater 19, the operation is performed at a lower temperature of the stored water. continues (S403).

That is, by lowering the ON duty (ratio) of the heater 19, that is, by decreasing the ON time and increasing the OFF time, the temperature of the stored water can be lowered. Here, as shown in Figure 10, when the water temperature decreases (from t2 to t1), the solubility of calcium carbonate in water increases (from C2 to C1), so as the water storage temperature decreases, calcium carbonate dissolves even with the same amount of water. The upper limit amount (solubility) that can be produced increases. Then, calcium carbonate exceeding the solubility will precipitate as a solid from water as scale. Therefore, by lowering the water storage temperature, the solubility of calcium carbonate, which is the main component of scale, in water increases, making it difficult for scale to precipitate, and therefore, it is possible to suppress the precipitation of scale.

Next, as a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a method of determining a predetermined operation start timing for performing a water replacement operation based on the water replacement interval or the cumulative water supply amount will be described based on FIG. 9. Note that the same step numbers are used for the same steps as in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

In the normal operation mode, the control unit 45 starts counting the time as the water replacement interval α and the cumulative amount β of water supplied to the water storage chamber 8 at the start of operation (S516). Here, the water exchange interval α is the time from the start of operation or the completion of water exchange operation to the start of the next water exchange operation, and the cumulative water supply amount β is the time from the start of operation or completion of water exchange operation to the next water exchange operation. This is the cumulative amount of water supply until the start of the process.

Then, as in the first to third embodiments, it is determined whether or not a predetermined operation start timing at which the water replacement operation should be performed is reached. or whether the cumulative water supply amount β has reached a predetermined value Tb (S501). Both of these timings are determined to prevent the occurrence of scale precipitation, and the calcium carbonate concentration in the water increases by supplying water each time to maintain the stable water level of the water in the water storage chamber 8, which has decreased due to the mist operation. However, the operation continuation time set to prevent scale precipitation is Ta, and the cumulative value of water supply possible is Tb. In other words, if the water replacement interval α exceeds a certain time Ta or the cumulative water supply amount β exceeds a predetermined value Tb, the possibility of scale precipitation increases. Precipitation can be prevented.

When it is determined in step S501 that it is the timing to perform the water replacement operation, similarly to the first embodiment, the remaining time C until the operation is stopped is calculated, and it is determined whether the remaining time C is less than or equal to the predetermined time A ( S202), if A≧C, the operation is continued without performing a water exchange operation (S203).

Note that instead of step S203, the operation may be continued with the air volume level lowered similarly to the second embodiment, that is, the rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and/or the blower fan 14 is lowered (corresponding to S303). Alternatively, as in the third embodiment, the operation may be continued with the humidification level lowered, that is, the storage water temperature may be lowered by switching the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 (corresponding to S403).

On the other hand, in step S202, if A<C, that is, if the remaining time C is greater than the predetermined time A, start a water replacement operation (S206), and start a timer count for the water replacement time B; Furthermore, counting of the water replacement interval α and the cumulative water supply amount β is ended (S507).

After that, when the water replacement operation is completed (S208), the timer count of the water replacement time B is ended (S209), and the counting of the water replacement interval α and the cumulative water supply amount β is started (S517), and the mist operation is performed in the normal operation mode. Implement.

Then, during normal operation, it is determined again whether the water replacement interval α has reached a certain time Ta or the cumulative water supply amount β has reached a predetermined value Tb (S510), and if the judgment is Yes,
It is determined whether the remaining time C until the operation is stopped is less than or equal to the water replacement time B (S211), and if B≧C, the operation is continued without performing the water replacement operation (S203).

If the determination is No in step S210, the water replacement operation is started (S211), and after resetting the timer count of water replacement time B, counting is started, and furthermore, the water replacement interval α and the cumulative water supply amount β are The count ends (S513).

After that, when the water replacement operation is completed (S214), the timer count of the water replacement time B is ended (S215), and the counting of the water replacement interval α and the cumulative water supply amount β is started (S517), and the mist operation in the normal operation mode is performed. The determination in step S510 is repeated while performing the following steps.

As mentioned above, at the predetermined timing when the water replacement operation should be performed, if it is predicted that the operation will stop earlier than the water replacement operation is completed, by continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation, It is possible to prevent the replaced water from being thrown away without being effectively utilized.

Furthermore, when continuing operation without performing a water replacement operation, by lowering the rotation speed of the mist motor 11 and/or the blower fan 14 and continuing operation, a drop in the water level in the water storage chamber 8 is suppressed, and a new water supply is possible. Since it suppresses, it is possible to suppress scale precipitation.

Furthermore, when continuing operation without performing a water exchange operation, by switching the ON/OFF state of the heater 19 and lowering the ON duty (ratio), the temperature of the stored water is lowered and operation is continued. Since the solubility of calcium carbonate increases and it becomes difficult for scale to precipitate, it is possible to suppress the precipitation of scale.

Furthermore, the water replacement operation can be performed by determining the predetermined operation start timing to perform the water replacement operation based on whether the water replacement interval α has reached a certain time Ta or the cumulative water supply amount β has reached a predetermined value Tb. It is possible to make the timing for determining whether or not to operate more accurate, and to reliably suppress scale precipitation due to constraints on both operating time and water supply amount.

In this embodiment, the maximum humidifying operation time is 16 hours, but it may be changed to 12 hours, 24 hours, etc. as appropriate by the user.

Further, in this embodiment, the water level sensor 21 as a water level detecting means is of a float type, but may be of other water level detecting means such as an electrode type, an ultrasonic type, or a capacitance type.

Further, the predetermined operation timing at which the water replacement operation should be performed in this embodiment is determined, for example, by the user determining that the water replacement operation is necessary and operating a switch (not shown) that starts the water replacement operation. It may be the timing at which the water exchange operation occurs, or the timing may be set so that the water exchange operation starts at an arbitrary time or time by the user operating a water exchange time setting switch (not shown).

Further, as for the calculation method of the cumulative water supply amount β in this embodiment, for example, a flow sensor may be installed in the middle of the water supply pipe 22 to measure and calculate the water supply flow rate, or the control unit 45 may calculate the amount of water flowing out from the water storage chamber 8 from the humidification amount per unit time and the continuous operation time, and calculate the amount of water supplied according to the amount of water flowing out.

Further, the other configurations used in this embodiment are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and may be implemented in various other forms. Various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

2 Air outlet 8 Water storage chamber 10 Rotating body 11 Mist motor 13 Porous part (colliding body)
14 Blow fan 21 Water level sensor (water level detection means)
22 Water supply pipe 23 Water supply valve 25 Drain pipe 26 Drain valve 45 Control section

Claims (4)

The instrument body,
A water storage chamber that stores water within the device body;
a cylindrical rotating body whose lower end is submerged in water in the water storage chamber and which draws up and scatters water by rotation;
a mist motor that rotationally drives the rotating body;
a collision body that generates mist when water scattered by the rotation of the rotary body collides; a blower fan that blows humidified air containing the mist generated by the collision body from a ventilation port;
water level detection means for detecting the water level in the water storage chamber;
a water supply pipe having one end connected to the water storage chamber and having a water supply valve in the middle of the pipe that can switch between supplying water to the water storage chamber;
a drain pipe having one end connected to the water storage chamber and having a drain valve in the middle of the pipe that can switch whether or not water in the water storage chamber is drained;
a control unit that controls a mist operation in which humidified air containing mist generated in the water storage chamber is blown from the air outlet by the blower fan;
When the control unit determines that a predetermined operation start timing has arrived during the mist operation, the control unit opens the water supply valve and the drain valve to perform a water replacement operation to replace the water in the water storage chamber,
And the operation is stopped when the preset operation stop time arrives,
At the predetermined operation start timing,
a predetermined time A or a time B from the start to the end of the water replacement operation performed last time;
A humidifying device characterized in that when the remaining time C until the operation stop time is in the relationship A≧C or B≧C, the operation is continued without performing the water replacement operation. 2. The control unit, when continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation, lowers the rotational speed of the mist motor and/or the blower fan to continue the operation. humidifier. a water storage temperature sensor installed on the outer wall of the water storage chamber to detect the storage water temperature;
a heater installed in the water storage chamber that heats the water and changes its ON/OFF state so that the water storage temperature detected by the water storage temperature sensor becomes a predetermined temperature;
2. The control unit, when continuing the operation without performing the water replacement operation, switches the ON/OFF state of the heater to lower the temperature of the stored water and continue the operation. 1. The humidifying device according to 1. The predetermined operation start timing is the timing at which a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of operation or the end of the previous water replacement operation, or the amount of water supplied to the water storage chamber since the start of operation or the end of the previous water replacement operation. 4. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying device is a timing at which a predetermined value is reached.

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