JP3521278B2 - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air cleaner, and more particularly to an air cleaner that utilizes a corona discharge for the decomposition of odorous components.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional air purifier with a sterilizing function disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-243432. In the figure, 1 is a casing, 2 is an air intake port provided in the casing 1, 3 is a prefilter provided on the air intake port 2 side in the casing 1, and 4 is a prefilter 3 in the casing 1. An ionizer and an ozonizer made of a corona discharge electrode provided on the downstream side, 5 is a dust collecting electrode provided on the downstream side of the ionizer and ozonizer 4 in the casing 1, and 6 is a dust collecting electrode 5 in the casing 1.
An ozone decomposing catalyst provided further downstream, a blower fan 7 provided downstream of the ozone decomposing catalyst 6 in the casing 1, 8 a shutter provided in the casing 1 for opening and closing the air inlet 2, and 9 a This is a shutter drive device.

Next, the operation of the conventional air purifier with sterilization function will be described. First, when the air introduced into the casing 1 from the air intake port 2 by the blower fan 7 passes through the pre-filter-3, large dust and the like are removed. Next, when passing through the ionizer / ozonizer 4, fine dust, cigarette smoke, and the like are subjected to a charging action, and ozone is generated here. Charged fine dust,
Tobacco smoke and the like are adsorbed and removed by the dust collecting electrode 5 having the opposite polarity. Odor components in the air react with ozone generated from the ionizer / ozonizer 4 in the air to be deodorized. The ozone remaining in the air after deodorization is decomposed by the ozone decomposition catalyst 6. Part of the odorous component is adsorbed on the surface of the ozone decomposing catalyst 6 , where it reacts with oxygen atoms generated when ozone is decomposed and is deodorized.

As described above, the ozone decomposition catalyst 6 is a gas treatment functional material having not only ozone decomposition but also deodorizing action.
Next, the sterilizing operation of the pre-filter-3 will be described. After stopping the air cleaning operation, the shutter drive device 9 operates,
The shutter 8 moves to close the air intake port 2. Further, the pre-filter-3 is sterilized by rotating the blower fan 7 in the reverse direction and applying ozone generated by the ionizer / ozonizer 4 to the pre-filter-3.

[0005]

In the conventional air purifier configured as described above, since the ozone generated by the ionizer and ozonizer 4 is applied to the pre-filter-3, the blower fan 7 is stopped after the air purifying operation is stopped. However, there is a problem that an inexpensive induction motor cannot be used. Further, when the air cleaning operation is restarted, the blower fan 7 is started at a high rotation speed as usual, so that a high concentration of ozone passes through the ozone decomposing catalyst 6 at a high flow rate. There is also a problem that the treatment capacity is exceeded, ozone is not completely decomposed, and ozone harmful to the human body is discharged to the outside of the device.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to sterilize the filter on the upstream side of the corona discharge electrode at a lower cost, and to restart the air cleaning operation. An object is to obtain an air cleaner that can prevent ozone from being discharged to the outside of the device.

[0007]

An air purifier according to claim 1 of the present invention is an apparatus body having an intake port and an exhaust port, a dust collecting filter provided on the intake port side of the apparatus body, and the apparatus body. It is provided between the dust collection filter and the gas treatment functional material inside the equipment body, and the gas treatment functional material that is provided on the exhaust port side of the equipment to deodorize odor components and decomposes ozone in parallel with the dust collection filter. It is equipped with a corona discharge electrode placed in the air passage for deodorizing odorous components, and a blower fan provided on the exhaust port side of the gas processing function material inside the main body of the device.The corona discharge electrode collects ionic wind. The corona discharge electrode is arranged so as to blow toward the dust filter side, and the corona discharge electrode is energized for a predetermined time after the blower fan is stopped.

In the air purifier according to claim 2 of the present invention, a voltage obtained by applying a pulsed high voltage to a high DC voltage is applied to the corona discharge electrode.

In the air purifier according to claim 3 of the present invention, the blower fan is started at a low rotation level when the operation is restarted after being stopped, and is made to shift to a high rotation level after rotating for a predetermined time.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1. 1 is a sectional view showing a main part of an air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a box-shaped device body having an exhaust port 12 on the rear side of the side, 13 is a suction panel that is detachably attached to the device body 11 and has an intake port 14, and 15 is an intake port 14 of the suction panel 13. The reference numeral 16 designates a dust collecting filter formed by pleating a glass fiber filter provided on the suction panel 13 on the entire side of the apparatus main body 11 from the prefilter 15 on the substantially entire surface.

Reference numerals 17 are attached to mounting plates 18 projecting inward from the side of the apparatus body 11 on the exhaust port side,
A gas treatment functional material composed of an adsorbent such as activated carbon parallel to the dust collecting filter 16 and an ozone decomposing catalyst;
Inside, a partition provided between the dust collection filter 16 and the gas treatment functional material 17 for diverting the air passing through the dust collection filter 16 to the end surface side in the apparatus main body 11 to flow to the gas treatment functional material 17. A plate, 20 is an air passage formed between the dust collecting filter 16 and the gas processing function material 17 in the apparatus main body 11.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a corona discharge electrode disposed in the air passage 20 for deodorizing odorous components, which is a discharge wire 21a and a counter electrode 21.
and b. And the corona discharge electrode 2
The discharge line 21a of No. 1 is arranged at the downstream side of the counter electrode 21b, being displaced from the counter electrode 21b so that the ion wind blows on the left electrode portion of FIG. 1 as shown by the broken line. Here, the ionic wind is a wind generated when the ions generated around the discharge wire 21a move toward the counter electrode 21b due to the Coulomb force and simultaneously push the surrounding air. In addition, the corona discharge electrode 21 is connected to the air passage 20.
Inside, the longitudinal direction of the electrode 21 is made orthogonal to the flow of the wind, and the electrodes 21 are arranged with a distance L from which the fire does not burn off from the gas processing function material 17. Then, a part of the air passage 20 where the corona discharge electrode 21 is arranged becomes a reaction chamber.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a gas processing function material 1 in the apparatus main body 11.
7 is a blower fan provided closer to the exhaust port 12 side, 24 is an opening provided in the central portion of the partition plate 19 that leaves a portion covering the corona discharge electrode 21, and 25 is attached to the opening 24,
It is a gas processing functional material maintenance door that opens and closes the opening 24. This gas treatment functional material maintenance door 25 has a hinge 2 at the bottom.
It is attached to the apparatus main body 11 by means of 5a, and a hook (not shown) is provided on the upper portion, and the hook is configured to be locked to the locking portion of the apparatus main body 11.

Next, the operation of the air cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the air introduced from the intake port 14 into the apparatus main body 11 by the blower fan 22 passes through the pre-filter 15 and the dust collecting filter 16 to be removed. The odor component in the air reacts with plasma, radicals and ozone generated in the corona discharge electrode 21 in the air to be deodorized, and part of the odor component is adsorbed on the surface of the gas treatment functional material 17, and when ozone is decomposed here. It is deodorized by reacting with oxygen atoms generated in.

The high voltage applied to the corona discharge electrode 21 is preferably a pulsed high voltage with a large voltage change per hour as shown in FIG. 2 in order to generate a large amount of plasma and radicals having a strong deodorizing effect. At high voltage, the driving force of air works only intermittently and ionic wind is not generated much. Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the high voltage applied to the corona discharge electrode 21 is a pulsed high voltage in addition to the direct current high voltage so that a large amount of plasma and radicals are generated, and ionic wind is also strongly generated. It was added. This waveform diagram is shown in FIG.

Further, even after the air cleaning operation is stopped and the blower fan 22 is stopped, the high voltage having the waveform shown in FIG. 3 is applied to the corona discharge electrode 21 for a predetermined time. Then, blower fan 2
Air movement due to ionic wind, which was negligible compared to the air driving force of 2, appeared, and the plasma, radicals, and ozone generated at the corona discharge electrode 21 moved toward the dust collection filter 16, and finally. It reaches the upstream side surface of the dust collecting filter 11 where bacteria are captured,
Sterilize this.

Since the dust collecting filter 16 contains a large amount of substances capable of reacting with ozone, the amount of ozone discharged outside the apparatus is extremely small. After this, when restarting operation,
The blower fan 22 is started at a low rotation level, and after being rotated for a predetermined time, it shifts to a high rotation level. Therefore, the high-concentration ozone generated in the corona discharge electrode 21 when the blower fan 22 is stopped passes through the gas processing functional material 17 at a low speed, so that the ozone processing capability of the gas processing functional material 17 is not exceeded, and the ozone is not discharged. No longer decomposes and ozone is no longer discharged to the outside of the device.

When the gas processing function material 17 is replaced, the suction panel 13 and the dust collecting filter 16 are removed,
After rotating and opening the gas processing function material maintenance door 25, the gas processing function material 17 is replaced. Further, the partition plate 19 is provided with an opening 24 at the center thereof, leaving a portion covering the corona discharge electrode 4.
Since the opening 24 is opened and closed by the gas processing function material maintenance door 25, the corona discharge electrode 21 remains hidden by the partition plate 19 even when the gas processing function material 17 is replaced, and the corona discharge electrode 21 is hidden. There is no possibility of damaging the discharge wire 4a made of the extremely thin wire 21. Further, since there is almost no difference in air pressure between the front surface and the back surface of the gas processing function material maintenance door 25, a special air seal is not required, and thus the cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, and it goes without saying that changes can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the corona discharge electrode 21 may be a combination of a plate electrode having a plurality of locally sharpened tips and a counter electrode. In addition, the device body 11 and the suction panel 1
It may be formed integrally with 3.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a dust collecting filter, a corona discharge electrode for deodorizing odorous components, a gas treatment function for deodorizing odorous components and decomposing ozone from the upstream side of the wind flow. Material is arranged, the corona discharge electrode is arranged so that the ion wind blows toward the dust collection filter side, and the corona discharge electrode is energized for a predetermined time after the blower fan is stopped, so expensive reverse rotation is possible Even without using a blower fan, air movement due to ionic wind appears when the blower fan is stopped, plasma, radicals and ozone generated at the corona discharge electrode can be supplied to the dust collector filter, and a dust collector filter that traps bacteria etc. The effect is that it can be sterilized.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the voltage obtained by applying the pulsed high voltage to the high DC voltage is applied to the corona discharge electrode, the corona discharge electrode is subjected to the air cleaning operation. The effect is that the required plasma with strong deodorizing power, generation of radicals and generation of strong ionic wind for sterilizing the dust collecting filter can be realized at the same time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the blower fan is started at a low rotation level when the operation is restarted after the stop, and is made to shift to the high rotation level after rotating for a predetermined time. Therefore, when the operation is restarted. The high-concentration ozone generated in the corona discharge electrode when the blower fan is stopped is passed through the gas treatment functional material at a low speed, the gas treatment functional material does not exceed the capability of ozone treatment, and ozone is not decomposed completely. There is an effect that ozone is not discharged to the outside of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts showing an air purifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram of a voltage applied to a general corona discharge electrode.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram of a voltage applied to the corona discharge electrode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional air purifier with a sterilizing function.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 device body, 12 exhaust port, 14 intake port, 15
Pre-filter, 16 dust collection filter, 17 gas treatment functional material, 19 partition plate, 20 air passage, 21 corona discharge electrode, 21a discharge wire, 21b counter electrode, 22 blower fan.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI B03C 3/66 B01D 53/34 116F F24F 7/00 (56) Reference JP-A-9-108591 (JP, A) JP-A 8-155338 (JP, A) JP-A-9-972 (JP, A) JP-A-9-327636 (JP, A) Actually developed 61-118654 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B03C 3/00-3/88

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device main body having an intake port and an exhaust port, a dust collecting filter provided on the intake port side of the device main body, and an odor component substantially parallel to the dust collecting filter provided on the exhaust port side of the device main body. A gas treatment functional material that deodorizes and decomposes ozone, and a corona discharge electrode that deodorizes odorous components arranged in the air passage formed between the dust collection filter and the gas treatment functional material in the device body. , A blower fan provided on the exhaust side of the gas processing function material inside the main body of the device, the corona discharge electrode is arranged so that the ion wind blows toward the dust collection filter side, and the corona discharge electrode blows air. An air purifier characterized by being energized for a predetermined time after the fan is stopped. 2. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a voltage obtained by applying a pulsed high voltage to a high DC voltage is applied to the corona discharge electrode. 3. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the blower fan is started at a low rotation level when the operation is restarted after being stopped, and is changed to a high rotation level after rotating for a predetermined time.