JP2670801B2 - Air filter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to an air filter, and more particularly to an air filter capable of detecting the accumulation of dust on a filter element.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, when operating air control devices and the like, many filters have been used to remove dust and the like from the air sent to these devices.

Such a filter usually passes the filter element when the air on the primary side is sent to the secondary side, and prevents dust from being sent to the secondary side by the filter element.

Here, as the dust that is prevented from being sent to the secondary side by the filter element, there are extremely fine dust and relatively large dust.

Then, in the removal of dust and the like by this filter element, relatively fine dust adheres to the filter element, and large dust is held in the dust reservoir provided on the primary side of the filter element,
It is done.

In addition, such a conventionally used air filter is usually formed by making it visible from the dust reservoir provided on the primary side of the filter element, and confirming from outside that dust is accumulated in the dust reservoir. It was formed so as to determine when to replace the filter element or when to perform cleaning or the like.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the air filter that has been conventionally used is designed to determine the clogging of the filter by confirming it from the outside. Alternatively, the user forgets to clean the dust reservoir of the air filter, which causes a situation in which the air control machine and the like do not operate normally.

In particular, if the dust is small dust, that is, fine powder dust, the filter element will be clogged, and it will not be possible to send air normally, but the clogging state of the filter element will not be seen from the outside. Not knowing, it was also a cause of malfunction of the air control device and the like.

Therefore, the present invention provides a filter element having a primary side and a secondary side.
By detecting the pressure difference with the secondary side, the clogging state of the filter element can be accurately grasped and malfunction of the air control device etc. due to clogging of the filter element can be prevented, and relatively large dust such as cotton When dust is accumulated in the dust reservoir on the primary side of the filter element, the dust is detected by the photo sensor, so that not only fine dust, that is, clogging of the filter element, but also filter element Although there is no clogging of the filter, it is possible to detect the condition that dust is accumulated in the dust reservoir at the same time, and to provide an air filter that can accurately output the cleaning time of the filter or the replacement time of the filter element etc. Is the purpose.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems described above, the present invention provides an air filter having a filter element arranged between an air supply port and an exhaust port, and a primary side and a secondary side of the filter element. And a rubber reservoir on the primary side of the filter element and a photo sensor for detecting dust inside the dust reservoir.

[Operation] When the air on the primary side is sent to the secondary side through the filter element, if the air is clogged with fine dust, the filter element will gradually become clogged.

Even when the filter element is not clogged at all, the air pressure on the secondary side is slightly lower than the air pressure on the primary side due to the air permeability of the filter element.

However, at this time, the filter element is clogged with fine dust, that is, as the air becomes harder to pass, the air pressure on the primary side is lower than the air pressure on the secondary side.
The pressure becomes even higher.

Therefore, the pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side is detected by the differential pressure detection device, and when the pressure difference becomes equal to or higher than the preset ratio, the filter element replacement signal is generated. The replacement time will not be wrong.

Furthermore, by installing a photo sensor in the dust reservoir provided on the primary side of this filter element, when a relatively large dust that does not cause clogging of the filter element enters the dust reservoir, the photo sensor detects it in advance. By doing so, malfunction can be prevented.

In this way, by installing the differential pressure detection device and the photo sensor together, it is possible to detect the replacement time of the filter element or the cleaning time of the filter regardless of whether it is fine dust or large dust. Is.

[Examples] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated examples.

1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing means for detecting the differential pressure between the primary side and the secondary side of the filter element,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a main part of a means for providing a dust reservoir on the primary side of the filter element and providing a photosensor for detecting dust inside the dust reservoir.

FIG. 1 shows an air filter in which a filter element 30 is arranged between the air supply port 10 and the exhaust port 20, and the differential pressure detection for detecting the differential pressure between the primary side and the secondary side of the filter element 30. The device 50 is provided.

A cylindrical filter element is used,
The filter element 30 is formed so that the air supply port 10 communicates with the inside of the cylinder and the exhaust port 20 communicates with the outside of the cylinder. Furthermore, the inside of the cylinder of this filter element 30
It is used as a garbage container 30.

Further, here, the differential pressure detection device 50 includes a primary communication port 11 communicated with the air supply port 10 side and a secondary communication port communicated with the exhaust port 20 side.
21 and 21 are communicated with both sides of the diaphragm 51, and the expansion of the diaphragm 51 is detected.

Further, a moving body 52 is fixed to the diaphragm 51, and a proximity sensor 53 for detecting an approaching movement of the moving body 52 is attached.

A spring is attached to the secondary communication port 21 side of the moving body 52.
54 is provided, and when the pressure on the primary communication port 11 side becomes a certain ratio or more to the pressure on the secondary communication port 21 side, the moving body 52
Are formed so as to approach the proximity sensor 53.

Next, the use of the air filter shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

Exhaust port from air inlet 10 through filter element 30
Air circulates in the air flow path reaching 20.

At this time, if fine dust or the like is contained in the air, the dust will adhere to the surface of the filter element 30.

In such a case, the primary communication port 11 communicates with the air supply port 10 side, the secondary communication port 21 communicates with the exhaust port 20 side, and both communication ports communicate with both sides of the diaphragm 51. Therefore, the diaphragm 51 expands to one side as the ratio of the pressure on the primary communication port 11 side to the pressure on the secondary communication port 21 side changes.

When the moving body 52 moves to the proximity sensor 53 side due to the expansion of the diaphragm 51 as described above, the movement of the moving body 52 is detected by the proximity sensor 53, and this state is a clogging state. Is output.

That is, in this embodiment, fine dust accumulates on the filter element 30, and the diaphragm 51 expands toward the proximity sensor 53 side as the pressure on the air supply port 10 side gradually becomes higher than the pressure on the exhaust port 20 side. As described above, and the moving body 52 moves to the proximity sensor 53 side in accordance with this deformation, the clogging state is detected.

The air filter shown in FIG. 2 has a primary communication port 11 communicating with the air supply port 10 and a secondary communication port 21 communicating with the exhaust port 20.
By connecting the and to the differential pressure type pressure transducer 55, the differential pressure detecting device 50 is formed so as to extract the differential pressure as an electric signal.

When formed in this way, compared to the mechanical structure of the diaphragm 51 and the like, the number of malfunctioning parts is small and the structure can be used for a long period of time.

When the air filter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used, when the clogging of the filter element 30 due to fine dust mixed in the air exceeds the allowable range, it is used as an electric signal. It can be output.

Therefore, the filter element 30 can be replaced without fail at the correct time, and there is no fear of failure of the air control device or the like after passing through the air filter.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is used in combination with the air filter shown in FIG. 1 or 2.

More specifically, a light emitter that detects whether or not dust has accumulated in the dust reservoir 30 provided on the primary side of the filter element 30.
It is formed by providing a photosensor 60 including a 61 and a light receiving body 62.

If formed in this way, when large dust that does not cause clogging of the filter element 30 is accumulated in the dust reservoir 30 of the filter element 30, even if the light emission amount of the light emitter 61 is the same, the light is received. Since the amount of light received by the body 62 decreases, when the decrease exceeds a certain level, this can be detected as clogging of dust.

The air filter shown in FIG. 3 is applied to the air filter shown in FIG. 1 or 2.
All of small dust and large dust can be detected, and the time to replace the filter element 30 or the time to clean the dust reservoir 30 of the air filter can be accurately output.

In the above description, the differential pressure detection device 50 is used in the case where the diaphragm 51 is used and in the differential pressure type pressure transducer 55.
The case where the filter element 30 is used has been described as an example, but even if other means is used, any filter can be used as long as it can detect the differential pressure between the primary side and the secondary side of the filter element 30. it can.

Further, as the photo sensor 60, it is possible to use an integrated type in which the light emitting body 61 and the light receiving body 62 are not separated, or it is possible to use a reflective type.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by detecting the pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the filter element,
If the clogged state is accurately grasped and the preset clogged state is exceeded, that is, if the pressure on the primary side exceeds the set ratio to the pressure on the secondary side, the filter will By determining that the filter is clogged and allowing the filter to be replaced at an appropriate time, malfunction of the air control device or the like is prevented.

At the same time, not only malfunction of the air control device etc. due to clogging of the filter element, but also relatively large dust, such as cotton dust, is collected in the dust reservoir on the primary side of the filter element. By detecting with a photo sensor, it is possible to detect not only fine dust, that is, filter element clogging, but also the state that dust is accumulated in the dust reservoir at the same time although there is no filter element clogging. ,
It is intended to accurately output the time for cleaning the filter or replacing the filter element.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the primary side and the secondary side of the filter element.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a means for detecting a differential pressure from the secondary side, and FIG. 3 is a means for providing a dust reservoir on the primary side of the filter element and providing a photosensor for detecting dust inside the dust reservoir. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining main parts of FIG. 10 …… Air supply port, 11 …… Primary communication port 20 …… Outlet port, 21 …… Secondary communication port 30 …… Filter element, 40 …… Dust reservoir 50 …… Differential pressure detection device, 51 …… Diaphragm 52 ...... Movement, 53 ...... Proximity sensor 54 ...... Spring, 55 ...... Differential pressure type pressure transducer 60 …… Photo sensor, 61 …… Emitter 62 …… Receptor

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An air filter in which a filter element is arranged between an air supply port and an exhaust port, a differential pressure detecting device for detecting a differential pressure between a primary side and a secondary side of the filter element is provided, and the filter is also provided. An air filter characterized in that a dust reservoir is provided on the primary side of the element and a photo sensor for detecting dust inside the dust reservoir is provided.