JP3708798B2 - Gas purification device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gas purification device that removes dust contained in gas and cleans it.
[Prior art]
For example, the main dust collection methods used in conventional home air purifiers (gas purification devices) include a filter method and an electric method. In the filter system, the fan is rotated to suck indoor air, the sucked air is passed through the filter, and dust (dust, mold, bacteria, etc.) contained in the air is collected by the filter and used in the room. It is designed to clean the air. In the case of the electric system, high-voltage discharge is performed on the sucked indoor air to charge the dust, and the dust is attached to a filter set to a potential opposite to the charge or a ground potential.
[0002]
FIG. 17 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of the electric dust collector. That is, a charging electrode 2 for charging dust in the air and a filter 3 for collecting dust are disposed in the middle of a path for rotating the fan 1 to suck and exhaust indoor air. A high voltage boosted by a high voltage transformer 4 is applied to the charging electrode 2, and the filter 3 is connected to the ground so as to electrically collect dust charged by the charging electrode 2. .
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In any of these methods, a filter is used, but mold, bacteria, and the like collected and adhered to the filter propagate with the passage of time. And if the reproduction progresses to some extent, the pressure loss of the air passing through the filter is increased. In addition, since the wind speed of the air passing over the filter increases, there is a problem that a so-called re-scattering phenomenon that dust on the surface of the filter drops off due to the air flow and is discharged into the room again tends to occur.
[0004]
In addition, when the filter eyes become finer to a certain extent, moisture in the air is also collected, resulting in an environment that encourages the growth of mold, bacteria, and the like. In particular, recently there is an air purifier equipped with a filter that can collect dust of less than 1 μm, called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Airfilter). And the problem of re-entrainment will also increase.
[0005]
And since a filter has a lifetime, a user needs the maintenance which replaces | exchanges a filter regularly, There also exists a problem that the effort is troublesome. In addition, if the user forgets to replace the filter, the re-scattering phenomenon will gradually occur.
[0006]
This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, The objective is to provide the gas purification apparatus which can suppress a re-scattering phenomenon while reducing a user's maintenance more.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The gas purification device according to claim 1, wherein a charging unit that charges the dust by applying a high voltage to a gas containing dust, and a collecting unit that collects the dust charged by the charging unit by an electrical action, An electric dust collector having
  A centrifugal force acting part that applies centrifugal force to dust contained in the gas by giving a swirling motion to the gas, and a collecting part that collects dust separated and removed from the gas by the centrifugal force acting part. And a centrifugal dust collectorThe
  That is, the particle size of the dust contained in the air is extremely wide from 0.01 μm at the virus level for small ones to about 100 μm at the pollen level for large ones. Thus, in order to collect dust over a wide range of particle diameters, a filter must be used even in a conventional electric dust collector.
  On the other hand, according to the present invention, relatively large dust is collected by the mechanical action of the centrifugal dust collecting unit. That is, dust having a large particle size and a large mass is easily separated from the gas when a centrifugal force is applied, and thus is mainly collected in the centrifugal dust collecting portion. And the electric dust collection part should just collect dust with a small particle size exclusively. Therefore, it is possible to collect the dusts having different particle diameters in a wide range in total, and it is possible to collect the dust in the gas without using a filter even in the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. Therefore, user maintenance is further reduced. Further, since no filter is used, the dust re-scattering phenomenon is also suppressed.
[0008]
On the other hand, according to the present invention, relatively large dust is collected by the mechanical action of the centrifugal dust collecting unit. That is, dust having a large particle size and a large mass is easily separated from the gas when a centrifugal force is applied, and thus is mainly collected in the centrifugal dust collecting portion. And the electric dust collection part should just collect dust with a small particle size exclusively. Therefore, it is possible to collect the dusts having different particle diameters in a wide range in total, and it is possible to collect the dust in the gas without using a filter even in the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. Therefore, user maintenance is further reduced. Further, since no filter is used, the dust re-scattering phenomenon is also suppressed.
[0009]
  And, Place at least the charged part of the electrostatic precipitator in front of the centrifugal precipitatorBecauseThe dust can be charged before the gas containing dust is introduced into the centrifugal dust collector.TheIt can be expected that dust having a relatively large particle size is also charged and collected by electrical action.
[0010]
  Also,bandThe electric part is configured to be charged with dust on the outer peripheral side of the gas inlet in the centrifugal force acting part.TheThat is, the gas containing dust is turned into a fluid and introduced into the centrifugal force acting portion, so that a turning motion is applied. Therefore, also in the gas introduction part of the centrifugal force acting part, the concentration of dust in the gas tends to increase on the outer peripheral side of the turning motion. Therefore, the dust collection efficiency is improved by charging the dust on the outer peripheral side of the gas inlet in the centrifugal force acting portion. Moreover, it is possible to charge even dust having a relatively large mass (that is, having a large particle size).
[0011]
  Further claims2As described above, a rectifying plate that rectifies the flow of gas may be disposed between the charging unit and the centrifugal force acting unit. If comprised in this way, since the gas introduce | transduced into a centrifugal force action part turns into a laminar flow by the effect | action of a baffle plate, the turning motion in a centrifugal force action part will be performed at high speed, without producing disturbance. Accordingly, dust separation is performed more efficiently.
[0012]
  In this case, the claim3As described above, the rectifying plate is preferably made of a conductive material and used as a collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. If comprised in this way, the dust with a comparatively small particle size will be collected by the baffle plate before gas will be introduce | transduced into a centrifugal force effect | action part. Therefore, the dust collection efficiency in the centrifugal dust collection unit is improved.
[0013]
  Claims4As described above, the centrifugal force collecting part and the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part may be made of a conductive material so as to be a part of the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. If comprised in this way, the whole structure of a centrifugal dust collection part will be utilized in order to collect dust electrically.
[0014]
  In addition, the claims5As described above, the centrifugal force collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is made of an insulating material, and the collecting part of the centrifugal force dust collecting part is made of a conductive material, thereby collecting the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. May be part of
[0015]
  In general, charged particles are less likely to adhere to a portion made of an insulating material. That is, the insulating material is charged to the same potential as the particles when the charged particles come into contact therewith. Therefore, the claim5If the potential of the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is set to be lower than the potential of the charged particles, the dust is also generated by the electrical action in the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part. It will be collected.
[0016]
  Furthermore, in this case, the claim6As described above, the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part may be made common with the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. If configured in this way, the collecting part becomes one place. Maintenance is easy.
[0017]
  Claims7As described above, the centrifugal force acting portion may be formed by plastic blow molding. That is, since a centrifugal structure is required for the centrifugal force acting part, if it is configured by a combination of parts formed by injection molding, extrusion molding, or the like, the number of parts increases and it is difficult to ensure the sealing performance. Therefore, the claim7If the centrifugal force acting part is formed by blow molding as described above, the number of parts is reduced and the sealing property is easily secured. Further, the centrifugal force acting part can be formed thin, and the entire apparatus is reduced in weight.
[0018]
  In these cases, the claims8As described in the above, it is preferable that the collecting portion is configured to be detachable from the main body. If comprised in this way, the user can remove a collection part from a main body, remove the dust collected inside, and can attach a collection part to a main body after that. Therefore, the handling at the time of removing the collected dust becomes easy.
[0019]
  Claims9As described above, the charging unit is preferably configured to apply a negative high voltage to a gas containing dust. That is, by applying a negative high voltage, the inert gas in the gas is easily ionized to generate negative ions, and ozone is easily generated by the action of the negative ions. Since ozone generates active oxygen having a strong oxidizing power, it deoxidizes and decomposes odor components, bacteria, etc. contained in the gas, and performs actions such as deodorization and sterilization. Therefore, if comprised in this way, gas will also be deodorized and sterilized, and will be cleaned.
[0020]
  In this case, claim 10As described above, it is preferable to dispose ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone on the gas outlet side of the centrifugal force acting portion. That is, if the generated ozone flows into a room or the like in an undecomposed state, the user may feel an ozone odor if the concentration rises to some extent. Therefore, if ozone decomposing means is added and ozone contained in the gas is released as much as possible, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling an ozone odor.
[0021]
  Claim 11As described above, the electric dust collector is connected to the exhaust side of the centrifugal dust collector.AlsoIt is preferable to provide a control means for arranging and controlling the electric dust collector so as to prevent re-scattering of dust accompanying the operation of the centrifugal dust collector.
[0022]
In other words, when the operation of the centrifugal dust collecting portion changes transiently, the motion state of the fluid changes accordingly, and pulsating flow or turbulent flow is temporarily generated. Then, due to the turbulence of the air flow, a re-scattering phenomenon that dust once collected is discharged to the outside easily occurs. Therefore, in such a case, by operating the electric dust collector disposed on the exhaust side of the centrifugal dust collector, dust that is about to be discharged to the outside by re-scattering is collected. Therefore, the gas can be made cleaner.
[0023]
  In this case, claim 12As described in the above, the control means may be configured to operate the electric dust collector at least when the centrifugal dust collector is stopped. That is, when the operation of the centrifugal dust collecting unit is stopped, the movement speed of the fluid gradually decreases and approaches zero speed. Then, the centrifugal force acting on the dust contained in the gas in the process gradually decreases and the airflow is disturbed, so that the dust once collected tends to be discharged to the outside. Therefore, the control means operates the electric dust collecting unit at least when the centrifugal dust collecting unit is stopped, and collects dust to be re-scattered when the operation stops and prevents it from being discharged to the outside. be able to.
[0024]
  Claim 13As described above, it is preferable that the control means is configured to start the operation of the electric dust collector from a predetermined period before the operation of the centrifugal dust collector is stopped. With such a configuration, when the operation of the centrifugal dust collecting unit is stopped, the electric dust collecting unit is in a steady operation state. It becomes possible to collect more reliably by the part.
[0025]
  Claim 14As described above, the control means may be configured to operate the electric dust collector at least at the start of operation of the centrifugal dust collector. That is, when the operation of the centrifugal dust collecting unit is started, the movement speed of the fluid gradually increases to the steady speed, and the centrifugal force acting on the dust contained in the gas in the process gradually increases. The centrifugal force acting during this period does not reach a level sufficient to collect dust. And since the turbulence of the airflow is also added, a re-scattering phenomenon occurs. Therefore, the control means operates the electric dust collecting unit at least when the centrifugal force dust collecting unit starts to operate, so that it is possible to collect dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of the operation.
[0026]
  In this case, claim 15As described above, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to start the operation of the electric dust collection unit from a predetermined period before the operation of the centrifugal dust collection unit is started. With this configuration, the electric dust collector is in a steady operation state when the operation of the centrifugal dust collector is started, so that dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of operation can be more reliably detected. It is possible to collect.
[0027]
  Claim 16As described above, the control means may be configured to operate the electric dust collector at least when the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector is switched. In other words, when the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector, for example, the gas suction speed or the suction amount (air volume) is switched, the air flow changes transiently, resulting in turbulence. Similarly, there is a possibility that a re-scattering phenomenon may occur. Therefore, it is possible to collect dust to be discharged to the outside by operating the electric dust collector when the control means switches at least the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector.
[0028]
  In this case, the claim17As described above, it is preferable that the control means is configured to start the operation of the electric dust collector from a predetermined period before the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector is switched. With such a configuration, when the operation level of the centrifugal dust collecting unit is switched, the electric dust collecting unit is in a steady operation state, so that dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of operation can be more reliably detected. It is possible to collect.
[0029]
  In these cases, the claim18As described in the above, it is preferable that the electrostatic dust collecting portion is configured to be detachable from the centrifugal dust collecting portion. If comprised in this way, the user can remove the electrostatic dust collecting part from the centrifugal dust collecting part, and can perform the operation | work which removes the collected dust by cleaning or washing | cleaning.
[0030]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an air purifier (gas purification device). A stainless steel cyclone (centrifugal force collecting unit) 11 is a well-known one that is generally used as a dust collecting device in a power plant or the like. Therefore, it is formed in a small size.
[0031]
The cyclone 11 mainly includes a cylindrical portion (centrifugal force acting portion) 11a, followed by a conical portion (centrifugal force acting portion) 11b extending downward in FIG. 1, and a tip (downward) of the conical portion 11b. And a bottomed cylindrical dust box (collecting part) 11c. On the side of the cylindrical portion 11a, there is provided an intake port portion 11d that is formed by extending a part of the circumference in the tangential direction and sucks indoor air. In addition, a suction port portion 11e for sucking air by a fan (not shown) is provided at the center of the cylindrical portion 11a so that a smaller diameter cylinder passes through the upper bottom portion.
[0032]
And the charging part 12 is arrange | positioned at the inlet part 11d. As shown in FIG. 2, the charging unit 12 includes three needle-like electrodes 14 arranged at substantially equal intervals inside a rectangular frame 13 made of an insulating material. A voltage of about −7 kV boosted by a high voltage transformer (not shown) is applied to these electrodes 14 (in FIG. 1, it is represented by a symbol of a DC power source).
[0033]
On the other hand, the cyclone 11 side is connected to ground. That is, since a negative strong electric field is applied between the charging unit 12 and the cyclone 11, dust introduced into the strong electric field is charged negatively. In the above configuration, the charging unit 12 and the cyclone 11 constitute the electrostatic dust collecting unit 15.
[0034]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. When the fan rotates and sucks air from the suction port 11e side of the cyclone 11, indoor air containing dust is introduced into the cyclone 11 from the suction port 11d. In this case, the air flow velocity at the inlet port portion 11d is set to be about 10 m / sec. At that time, dust in the air is charged to a negative potential in the charging unit 12.
[0035]
At this time, by applying a negative high voltage, the inert gas in the air is ionized and negative ions are likely to be generated. As a result, ozone is easily generated by the action of the negative ions. In the environment. Ozone generates active oxygen having a strong oxidizing power, and thus oxidatively decomposes odor components and bacteria contained in the air to perform deodorization and sterilization. Therefore, the air sucked into the air cleaner is subjected to actions such as deodorization and sterilization to be cleaned.
[0036]
Then, the air containing the dust becomes a fluid and descends toward the conical portion 11b while making a swiveling motion along the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 11a. Then, the turning radius of the fluid gradually decreases, and the magnitude of the downward vector in the fluid motion also gradually decreases. When the fluid reaches the dust box 11c, the magnitude of the downward vector becomes zero. From there, the movement of the fluid turns upward, ascends the central portion of the conical portion 11b, and is discharged to the outside (inside the room) via the intake port portion 11d. In addition, the arrow in a figure represents the flow of the fluid in the cyclone 11 inside.
[0037]
In the fluid movement process described above, dust having a relatively large particle size (for example, 1 μm or more) among dust contained in the air is separated from the fluid by the centrifugal force acting during the turning motion, and the dust box 11c. It falls inside and is collected. Further, since the cyclone 11 itself is connected to the ground, it also serves as a collecting part as the electric dust collecting part 15, and the particle size of the dust charged negatively by the charging part 12 is relatively small. Some are attached to the inner wall portion of the cylindrical portion 11a, the conical portion 11b, and the dust box 11c due to the potential difference and are captured.
[0038]
Here, FIG. 3 shows an actual measurement result comparing the air cleaner of the present embodiment with the air cleaner of the conventional electric dust collection system shown in FIG. Both cleaners are operated for 1000 hours in the same condition and stopped after collecting dust, and then restarted after 168 hours from that point. The particle size is 0.3 μm or more near the air outlet of the cleaner. The number of dust was measured with a particle counter. When the operation is resumed, the number of dust contained in the indoor air is about 18,000.
[0039]
In FIG. 3, the air cleaner using the conventional electric dust collection system (“♦” in FIG. 3) increases the number of dusts to about 50000 after restarting operation. On the other hand, in the air cleaner of the present embodiment (“□” in FIG. 3), there are about 25000, which is about half of that, and the conventional electric dust collection method using a filter alone is a re-scatter phenomenon. Appears prominently.
[0040]
4 shows a volume of 1 m.³FIG. 4 shows the result of measuring the concentration change (residual rate [%]) by injecting ammonia and placing the air purifier of this example in the closed box (“♦” in FIG. 4). That is, when the air cleaner is operated, ammonia is gradually decomposed by the deodorizing action of ozone described above, and the residual rate decreases with the passage of time.
[0041]
For comparison, a similar measurement result when a voltage of +7 kV is applied to the electrode 14 of the charging unit 12 is also shown (“□” in FIG. 4). In this case, the deodorizing action is clearly weaker than when a voltage of -7 kV is applied. That is, in the positive discharge, the ozone generation efficiency is lowered.
[0042]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the charging unit 12 charges the dust before introducing the indoor air containing the dust into the cyclone 11, and the fluid is swirled to separate and collect the dust. By connecting the cyclone 11 to the ground to collect dust electrically, the dust having a relatively large particle size is collected by the mechanical action of the cyclone 11, and the dust having a relatively small particle size is collected. Was collected by the electric dust collector 15.
[0043]
Accordingly, it is possible to collect dust having a total different particle diameter in a wide range, and it is possible to collect dust in the gas without using a filter, and the maintenance work of the user is further reduced. Further, since no filter is used, the dust re-scattering phenomenon can be suppressed.
[0044]
In this case, since the charging unit 12 of the electrostatic precipitator 15 is disposed in the front stage of the cyclone 11, the dust can be charged before the air containing the dust is introduced into the cyclone 11. Dust having a large particle size can be charged and collected by electrical action. Furthermore, since the entire cyclone 11 is made of a conductive material and used as a collecting part of the electric dust collecting part 15, dust can be electrically collected using a part having a larger area.
[0045]
Further, according to this embodiment, the charging unit 12 applies a negative high voltage to the air containing dust, so that ozone is easily generated by corona discharge, and the ozone has a strong oxidizing power. It is possible to add oxidative decomposition of odor components and bacteria contained in the air to add deodorizing and sterilizing actions.
[0046]
5 to 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Only different parts will be described below. In the second embodiment, the charging portion 16 is disposed inside the cyclone 11, that is, at the rear stage of the intake port portion 11d. FIG. 6 is a front view of the charging unit 16, but in the second embodiment, the electrodes 17 in the charging unit 16 are arranged in the outer peripheral direction of the turning motion given to the fluid by the cyclone 11. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0047]
FIG. 7 shows the result of measuring the dust collection efficiency (%) of atmospheric dust when the electrode 17 is arranged at (1) upper side, (2) outer peripheral side, and (3) inner peripheral side of the charging unit 16, respectively. Is shown. From FIG. 7, the dust collection efficiency when the electrode 17 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the charging unit 16 shows a high value of 98%. This is because the density of dust is increased on the outer peripheral side due to the centrifugal force due to the swirling motion of the fluid, and more dust can be charged, so the dust collection efficiency by electrical action is improved. it is conceivable that.
[0048]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the electrode 17 is disposed so that the charging unit 16 is charged with dust on the outer peripheral side of the fluid inlet in the cyclone 11, the dust density is increased in the fluid. By charging, dust collection efficiency can be improved. In addition, dust having a relatively large mass (that is, having a large particle size) can be charged and collected.
[0049]
8 and 9 show a third embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Only different parts will be described below. In the third embodiment, three stainless steel rectifying plates 18 having a length of about 100 mm are arranged in parallel in front of the intake port portion 11d of the cyclone 11, and between these rectifying plates (collecting portions) 18 are arranged. In addition, an electrode (charging portion) 19 formed in an inverted U shape by a tungsten wire is disposed.
[0050]
The rectifying plate 18 functions to arrange the fluid introduced into the cyclone 11 into a laminar flow. The current plate 18 is connected to the ground together with the cyclone 11. Therefore, the rectifying plate 18, the electrode 19, and the cyclone 11 constitute an electrostatic precipitator 20. The rectifying plate 18 is configured to be detachable from a main body (not shown). Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0051]
Next, the operation of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the air cleaner of the third example, the dust collection efficiency was measured using fly ash (JIS-Z8901-10, center diameter 4.8 to 5.7 μm) which is 10 kinds of JIS standard test powders. As a result, the efficiency was 68%. For comparison, the same measurement was performed with the rectifying plate 18 removed, but the efficiency was 62%.
[0052]
FIG. 9 shows the result of measuring the particle size distribution of the dust collected in both cases. In FIG. 8, “●” indicates the case where the current plate 18 is disposed, and “◯” indicates the case where the current plate 18 is removed. From FIG. 9, it can be seen that when the current plate 18 is disposed, the dust collection efficiency of dust having a relatively small particle diameter is improved.
[0053]
As described above, according to the third embodiment, since the rectifying plate 18 that rectifies the flow of the fluid is disposed between the electrode 19 and the cyclone 11, the fluid introduced into the cyclone 11 becomes a laminar flow, and the cyclone 11 The swivel motion in is fast without turbulence.
[0054]
Since the rectifying plate 18 is made of a conductive material and is used as the collecting portion of the electric dust collecting portion 20, dust having a relatively small particle size is collected by the rectifying plate 18 before being introduced into the cyclone 11. The Accordingly, the dust collection efficiency of dust having a small particle diameter is increased, and the total dust collection efficiency can be improved. In addition, since the current plate 18 can be attached to and detached from the main body, the user can remove dust attached by removing the current plate 18 from the main body, and the handling becomes easy.
[0055]
FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the cyclone 11 of the first embodiment is replaced with a cyclone (centrifugal force collecting part) 21 having the same shape. The cyclone 21 has a cylindrical portion (centrifugal force acting portion) 22a and a conical portion (centrifugal force acting portion) 22b formed by blow molding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) so that the average thickness is about 0.5 mm. Further, the intake port portion 22d and the suction port portion 22e are formed by extrusion molding of PET, and are adhesively fixed to the cylindrical portion 22a.
[0056]
Only the dust box (collecting portion) 23 is made of stainless steel, and is detachably attached to the tip portion of the conical portion 22b and connected to the ground. That is, the charging unit 12 and the dust box 23 constitute an electric dust collecting unit 24. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0057]
Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described. About the electric dust collector of 4th Example, as a result of having collected dust using 10 types of test powders similar to 3rd Example, most of them were collected inside the dust box 23. FIG. That is, in the cylindrical portion 22a, the conical portion 22b, and the like formed of the insulating material PET, the charged dust is charged to the same potential as the dust, so that it is difficult for the dust to adhere. The dust inside is concentrated and collected in the dust box 23 connected to the ground. In other words, in the fourth embodiment, the collecting unit of the centrifugal dust collecting unit and the collecting unit of the electric dust collecting unit 24 are shared by the dust box 23.
[0058]
As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the cylindrical portion 22a and the conical portion 22b of the cyclone 21 are integrally formed by PET blow molding, and thus a portion requiring such a sealing structure is formed by injection molding or extrusion. Compared with the case where it is configured by a combination of parts formed by molding or the like, the sealing performance can be easily ensured with fewer parts. Further, since the cylindrical portion 22a and the conical portion 22b can be formed thin, the weight of the cyclone 21 is about 1/10 as compared with the case where all are integrally formed of stainless steel as in the first embodiment. Thus, the weight can be reduced.
[0059]
Then, the dust can be concentrated and collected in the dust box 23, and the dust box 23 can be attached to and detached from the conical portion 22b, so that the user can collect the dust collected in one place of the dust box 23. The removal can be easily performed by removing the part, and the convenience of maintenance is improved.
[0060]
11 and 12 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and only the parts different from the second embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, an ozone decomposing catalyst (ozone decomposing means) 25 is disposed on the cleaned air discharge side of the air cleaner in the second embodiment, and is generated and cleaned on the charging unit 16 side. The ozone contained in the air is decomposed before being discharged into the room. As the ozone decomposition catalyst 25, for example, an ozone decomposition catalyst (NHC-423, 150X150X20mmt) manufactured by JGC Universal is used.
[0061]
FIG. 12 shows the result of measuring the ozone concentration on the outlet side of the air cleaner (“□” in FIG. 12). For comparison, the result of the same measurement is also shown for the air cleaner of the second embodiment in which the ozone decomposition catalyst 25 is not provided (“♦” in FIG. 12). As is clear from this figure, the ozone concentration catalyst 25 in which the ozone decomposition catalyst 25 is disposed has substantially zero ozone concentration contained in the exhausted purified air.
[0062]
As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, since the ozone decomposition catalyst 25 is arranged on the air outlet side of the cyclone 11, the ozone contained in the purified air can be released in a decomposed state as much as possible. it can. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling the ozone odor uncomfortable.
[0063]
FIGS. 13 to 15 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, another electric dust collector 26 is disposed on the suction port 11 e side of the cyclone 11. The electric dust collection unit 26 is configured in substantially the same manner as the electric dust collection unit 15, and the needle-like electrodes 28 arranged at substantially equal intervals inside the frame body 27, and these needle-like electrodes 28, respectively. It has a flat counter electrode 29 arranged so as to be sandwiched from both sides. A voltage of about +4 kV is applied to the needle electrode 28, and the counter electrode 29 is connected to the ground. In addition, the electric dust collector 26 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the suction port 11 e of the cyclone 11.
[0064]
In FIG. 14 showing the electrical configuration, a control unit (control means) 30 controls the operation of the air purifier and is configured with a microcomputer as the center. The control unit 30 is provided with an operation signal output from the operation unit 31 from a start switch, a switch for setting an operating state such as wind speed, or the like. Then, the control unit 30 performs drive control of the intake fan 32, the charging unit 12 of the electrostatic dust collecting unit 15, and the electrostatic dust collecting unit 26 in accordance with these operation signals given from the operation unit 31. ing.
[0065]
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control content of the control unit 30. The control unit 30 refers to the operation signal from the operation unit 31 and stands by until the start switch is turned on (step S1). Then, when the start switch is turned on (“YES”), energization of the electrostatic precipitator 26 (second electrostatic precipitator in FIG. 15) is started (step S2). That is, a voltage of +4 kV is applied to the needle electrode 28.
[0066]
Then, after waiting for 0.5 seconds to elapse from that time (step S3, “YES”), the control unit 30 starts energizing the charging unit 12 of the electrostatic precipitator 15 (step S4). Then, the operation of the fan 32 is started (step S5). Subsequently, after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S6, “YES”), energization to the electrostatic precipitator 26 is stopped (step S7). The above is the sequence at the start of the air purifier, and then the air purifier is steadily operated.
[0067]
In the above-described processing, the electric dust collector 26 is energized prior to the start of operation of the air cleaner (start of the fan 32), and when 0.5 seconds have elapsed from the start of energization, the operation of the air cleaner is performed. Is supposed to start. This is due to the following reason. When the fan 32 is started, the air inside the air cleaner starts moving from a stationary state, and starts to move as a fluid. As such, when the movement state of the fluid changes, a pulsating flow or a turbulent flow is temporarily generated. Therefore, the dust collected in the dust box 23 of the air purifier is picked up by the turbulence of the air flow, A re-scattering phenomenon that is discharged to the outside easily occurs.
[0068]
Therefore, in such a case, the electric dust collector 26 disposed on the suction port 11e side of the cyclone 11 is energized so that the dust that is scattered again and is discharged to the outside is counter electrode 29 of the electric dust collector 26. Will be collected. That is, the electric dust collector 26 is operated mainly to suppress the re-scattering phenomenon, and is operated for a period during which the re-scattering phenomenon is expected to occur.
[0069]
During the steady operation, the control unit 30 refers to the operation signal from the operation unit 31 and stands by until the start switch is turned off (step S8). When the start switch is turned off ("YES"), the electric dust collector 26 is energized again (step S9) and waits for 0.5 seconds to elapse (step S10, "YES"). The operation of the fan 32 is stopped (step S11), and then energization to the charging unit 12 is stopped (step S12).
[0070]
Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S13, “YES”), the energization to the electrostatic precipitator 26 is stopped (step S14), and the process returns to step S1. The above steps S8 to S14 are the sequence when the air cleaner is stopped, and are basically the same sequence as when the operation was started. That is, even when the fan 32 is stopped, the air inside the air purifier moves from a state where it is moving as a fluid to a state where the movement is stopped. This is because the re-scattering phenomenon is likely to occur.
[0071]
Here, the results of experiments conducted by the inventors of the present invention are shown below. When the dust of 10 kinds of JIS test powders similar to those used in the third embodiment is deposited on the inner wall surface of the cyclone 11 in advance and the starting sequence from the above steps S1 to S7 is executed, The number of particles (dust) having a particle size of 0.5 μm or more was counted by a particle counter disposed on the exhaust side of the cleaner (after the electric dust collector 26). For comparison, the same measurement was performed for a configuration in which the electric dust collector 26 was not provided. As a result, in the configuration in which the electric dust collector 26 is not provided, the count number is “884”, whereas in the configuration of the sixth embodiment, the count number is “0”.
[0072]
Similarly, in the case where the stop sequence from step S8 to S15 is executed using 10 kinds of dust for JIS test powder, the number of particles is counted by the particle counter, and the electrostatic dust collecting unit 26 is provided. The same measurement was performed for the configuration without the same.
As a result, the count number was “286” in the configuration in which the electric dust collector 26 was not provided, whereas the count number was “1” in the configuration of the sixth embodiment.
Also from these results, it is clear that the dust re-scattering phenomenon collected by the configuration of the sixth embodiment is reliably suppressed.
[0073]
As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the electrostatic precipitator 26 is disposed on the suction port 11e side of the cyclone 11, and the control unit 30 prior to starting the fan 32 at the start of the operation of the air cleaner. Thus, energization of the electrostatic precipitator 26 is started, and energization of the electrostatic precipitator 26 is started prior to stopping the fan 32 even when the operation of the air cleaner is stopped.
[0074]
That is, the dust that is re-scattered from the state collected in the dust box 23 and discharged to the outside due to the turbulence of the fluid inside the air purifier generated when the fan 32 is started or stopped is It can be collected by the counter electrode 29 of the part 26. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress the dust re-scattering phenomenon and keep the indoor air always clean.
[0075]
Further, since the electric dust collecting unit 26 is configured to be detachable from the suction port 11e of the cyclone 11, the user removes the electric dust collecting unit 26 from the cyclone 11, and cleans and cleans the collected dust. The removal work can be easily performed.
[0076]
FIG. 16 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and only the parts different from the sixth embodiment will be described. The configuration of the seventh embodiment is basically the same as that of the sixth embodiment, and the control content of the control unit 30 is different. That is, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 16, the control unit 30 refers to the operation signal of the operation unit 31 after execution of step S7, and the wind speed setting (operation level) during the operation of the air purifier is switched from the initial state. It is determined whether or not it has been made (step S15). If there is no setting change ("NO"), the process proceeds to step S8.
[0077]
In step S15, for example, there are three levels of wind speed setting: “strong”, “medium”, and “weak”, and the user operates the operation unit 31 to change the setting from “medium” to “strong”, “strong”. When the switching is performed such as “→”, etc., the control unit 30 determines “YES”, starts energizing the electric dust collecting unit 26 (step S16), and waits for 0.5 seconds to elapse. (Step S17, “YES”) The setting of the wind speed is switched (Step S18). That is, the operating speed (rotation speed) of the fan 32 is changed. And after predetermined time passes (step S19, "YES"), after energization with respect to the electrical dust collection part 26 is stopped (step S20), it returns to step S8.
[0078]
That is, if the rotational speed of the fan 32 is changed in order to switch the setting of the wind speed, the flow velocity of the fluid in the air cleaner changes. The phenomenon tends to occur. Therefore, in such a case as well, the electric dust collector 26 is energized to collect dust that is scattered again and discharged to the outside.
[0079]
As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, the control unit 30 starts energization of the electric dust collecting unit 26 prior to the change even when the wind speed during the operation of the air purifier is changed. Therefore, the dust re-scattering phenomenon caused by the change in the rotation speed of the fan 32 can be reliably suppressed, and the indoor air can be further purified.
[0080]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and the following modifications or expansions are possible.
A positive voltage may be applied to the electrode of the charging unit.
Needless to say, it is preferable not only to arrange the electrode 17 of the charging unit 16 on the outer peripheral side of the turning motion as in the second embodiment, but also to arrange the charging unit 16 itself on the outer peripheral side of the turning motion. Yes.
Further, in the third embodiment, the rectifying plate 18 is not necessarily connected to the ground, and may have only a function as a rectifying plate. Therefore, you may comprise with an insulating material.
Without connecting the cyclone 11 or the dust box 23 to the ground, the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part may be provided separately from the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part.
Ozone decomposition means may also be provided in the configurations of the first, third, fourth, sixth or seventh embodiments.
[0081]
As in the sixth embodiment, the electric dust collector 26 is not limited to being energized prior to the start and stop of the operation of the air cleaner, but may be controlled to be energized almost simultaneously with the start and stop of the operation. . Similarly, the seventh embodiment may be controlled so that the electric dust collector 26 is energized substantially simultaneously with the switching of the operation level.
In the configuration of the sixth or seventh embodiment, the charging unit 12 may be removed and the electric dust collecting unit 26 may be operated in the same manner as the electric dust collecting unit 15. In addition, operation control for preventing the re-scattering phenomenon of dust collected by the control unit 30 may be performed as in the sixth or seventh embodiment.
The gas is not limited to air, but may be any gas containing dust.
[0082]
【The invention's effect】
Since this invention is as having demonstrated above, there exist the following effects.
According to the gas purification device of the first aspect, relatively large dust can be collected by the mechanical action of the centrifugal dust collecting portion, and relatively small dust can be collected by the electric dust collecting portion. Can do. Accordingly, it is possible to collect the dust having a total particle size different in a wide range, and it is possible to collect the dust in the gas without using a filter, so that the user's maintenance is further reduced. Also, the dust re-scattering phenomenon can be suppressed.
[0083]
  AndSince at least the charging part of the electric dust collecting part is arranged in front of the centrifugal dust collecting part, the dust can be charged before the gas containing dust is introduced into the centrifugal dust collecting part. Dust having a large particle size can also be charged and collected by electrical action.
[0084]
  AlsoThe charging unit charges dust on the outer peripheral side of the gas inlet in the centrifugal force acting unit, so that dust collection efficiency is improved. Further, it can be charged even with dust having a relatively large mass.
[0085]
  Claim2According to the described gas purification apparatus, since the rectifying plate for rectifying the gas flow is disposed between the charging unit and the centrifugal force acting part, the gas introduced into the centrifugal force acting part is layered by the action of the rectifying plate. The swirl motion in the centrifugal force acting portion becomes high speed without causing turbulence. Therefore, dust can be separated more efficiently.
[0086]
  Claim3According to the described gas purification apparatus, since the current plate is made of a conductive material and serves as a collecting part of the electric dust collecting part, the dust is introduced into the centrifugal force acting part for dust having a relatively small particle size. Before being collected by the current plate. Therefore, the dust collection efficiency in the centrifugal dust collection unit can be improved.
[0087]
  Claim4According to the gas purifier described above, the centrifugal force collecting part and the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part are made of a conductive material and become a part of the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. The entire configuration of the part can be used to electrically collect dust.
[0088]
  Claim5According to the described gas purification apparatus, the centrifugal force acting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is made of an insulating material, and the collecting part of the centrifugal force collecting part is made of a conductive material to collect the electrostatic dust collecting part. Since it is a part of the collecting part, dust is collected by the electrical action also in the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part.
[0089]
  Claim6According to the described gas purification apparatus, since the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is shared with the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part, the collecting part becomes one place, so that maintenance by the user is easy. Can be.
[0090]
  Claim7According to the described gas purification apparatus, since the centrifugal force acting part is formed by plastic blow molding, the number of parts is reduced and the sealing performance is easily ensured. Further, since the centrifugal force acting part can be formed thin, the entire apparatus can be reduced in weight.
[0091]
  Claim8According to the gas purification device described, the collection unit is configured to be detachable from the main body. Therefore, the user removes the dust collected in the collection unit after removing the collection unit, and then collects the collection unit. Can be attached to the body. Therefore, handling when removing the collected dust can be facilitated.
[0092]
  Claim9According to the described gas purification apparatus, the charging unit applies a negative high voltage to the dust-containing gas, so that ozone is generated to oxidize and decompose odorous components and bacteria contained in the gas to remove the odor. Gases can be purified by adding actions such as sterilization.
[0093]
  Claim 10According to the described gas purification apparatus, the ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone is arranged on the gas outlet side of the centrifugal force acting portion, so that the user can be prevented from feeling unpleasant ozone odor.
[0094]
  Claim 11According to the described gas purification apparatus, the electric dust collecting part is arranged on the exhaust side of the centrifugal dust collecting part, and the control means is configured to dispose the electric dust collecting part in accordance with the operation of the centrifugal dust collecting part. Since the operation is controlled so as to prevent re-scattering, the dust once collected can be prevented from being discharged to the outside, and the gas can be made cleaner.
[0095]
  Claim 12According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means operates the electric dust collecting unit at least when the centrifugal dust collecting unit is stopped, so that it is possible to collect dust to be re-scattered when the operation is stopped.
[0096]
  Claim 13According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means starts the operation of the electric dust collector from a predetermined period before the operation of the centrifugal dust collector is stopped, so the operation of the centrifugal dust collector is stopped. At that time, the electric dust collector can be in a steady operation state, and dust that is about to be discharged to the outside when the operation is stopped can be collected more reliably.
[0097]
  Claim 14According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means operates the electric dust collector at least at the start of operation of the centrifugal dust collector, so that dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of operation can be collected. .
[0098]
  Claim 15According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means starts the operation of the electric dust collector from a predetermined period before the operation of the centrifugal dust collector starts, so the operation of the centrifugal dust collector starts. At this time, the electric dust collector is in a steady operation state, so that dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of operation can be collected more reliably.
[0099]
  Claim 16According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means operates the electric dust collection unit at least when the operation level of the centrifugal dust collection unit is switched. For example, the control means operates such as the gas suction speed and the suction amount (air volume). When the level is switched, dust that is about to be discharged to the outside by re-scattering can be collected.
[0100]
  Claim17According to the described gas purification apparatus, the control means starts the operation of the electric dust collector from a predetermined period before the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector is switched. At the time of switching, since the electric dust collector is in a steady operation state, it is possible to more reliably collect dust that is about to be discharged to the outside at the start of operation.
[0101]
  Claim18According to the described gas purification apparatus, since the electric dust collector is configured to be detachable from the centrifugal dust collector, the user can remove the electric dust collector from the centrifugal dust collector and be collected. It is possible to easily remove the dust by cleaning or washing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the present invention, schematically showing the configuration of an air purifier, (a) is a side view, and (b) is a plan view.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a charging unit.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing actual measurement results of the number of dust contained in air when the present embodiment and a conventional air purifier are respectively operated.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an actual measurement result of a residual ratio of ammonia contained in air when the air cleaner of the present example is operated.
FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a charging unit.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing measurement results of dust collection efficiency when an electrode is arranged in each part of the charging unit.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a graph showing the result of measuring dust collection efficiency using 10 kinds of test powders.
FIG. 10 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 (a) showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 (a) showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the results of measuring ozone concentration on the outlet side of an air cleaner
FIG. 13 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 (a) showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control content of the control unit;
FIG. 16 is a view corresponding to FIG. 15 showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a conventional electric dust collector.
[Explanation of symbols]
11 is a cyclone (centrifugal force collecting portion, collecting portion), 11a is a cylindrical portion (centrifugal force acting portion), 11b is a conical portion (centrifugal force acting portion), 11c is a dust box (collecting portion), and 12 is a charging portion. , 15 is an electrostatic dust collecting unit, 16 is a charging unit, 18 is a current plate (collecting unit), 19 is an electrode (charging unit), 20 is an electric dust collecting unit, 21 is a cyclone (centrifugal force collecting unit), 22a Is a cylindrical portion (centrifugal force acting portion), 22b is a conical portion (centrifugal force acting portion), 23 is a dust box (collecting portion), 24 is an electric dust collecting portion, 25 is an ozone decomposition catalyst (ozone decomposition means), and 26 is An electric dust collecting unit 30 indicates a control unit (control means).

Claims (18)

An electric dust collecting section having a charging section that charges the dust by applying a high voltage to a gas containing dust, and a collecting section that collects the dust charged by the charging section by an electrical action;
A centrifugal force acting part that applies centrifugal force to dust contained in the gas by giving a swirling motion to the gas, and a collecting part that collects dust separated and removed from the gas by the centrifugal force acting part. With centrifugal dust collection part ,
At least the charging part of the electric dust collecting part is arranged in the front stage of the centrifugal dust collecting part,
The charging unit, the gas purification system is characterized that you have been configured to charge dust in the outer peripheral side of the gas inlet in the centrifugal force acting portion. The gas purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rectifying plate for rectifying the flow of gas is disposed between the charging unit and the centrifugal force acting unit . Constitute a rectifying plate with a conductive material, the gas purifying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein to Rukoto and collector of an electrostatic precipitator unit. 4. The centrifugal force acting part and the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part are made of a conductive material to form a part of the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. The gas purification apparatus as described. The centrifugal force acting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is made of an insulating material, and the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is made of a conductive material to be a part of the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 6. The gas purification apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the collecting part of the centrifugal dust collecting part is made common with the collecting part of the electric dust collecting part . The gas purification device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the centrifugal force acting part is formed by plastic blow molding . The capturing collection unit, a gas purifying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that detachably attached to the main body. The gas purifier according to claim 1, wherein the charging unit applies a negative high voltage to a gas containing dust . The gas purification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone is disposed on the gas outlet side of the centrifugal force acting part . An electric dust collector is also placed after the centrifugal dust collector,
11. The control unit according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to control operation of the electric dust collecting unit so as to prevent at least dust re-scattering due to operation of the centrifugal dust collecting unit . Gas purification device. 12. The gas purification apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control means operates the electric dust collector at least when the centrifugal dust collector is stopped . The gas purification device according to claim 12, wherein the control means starts the operation of the electric dust collection unit from a predetermined period before the operation of the centrifugal dust collection unit is stopped . The gas purification device according to any one of claims 11 to 13 , wherein the control means operates the electric dust collector at least when the centrifugal dust collector starts operation . Control means far Kokororyoku current from before the predetermined period of time when the operation of the dust collecting part is started, a gas purifying apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the starting the operation of the electrostatic precipitator unit. The gas purification device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the control means operates the electric dust collector at least when the operation level of the centrifugal dust collector is switched . Control means far Kokororyoku current from before the predetermined period of time the dust portion of the operating level is changed, a gas purifying apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the starting the operation of the electrostatic precipitator unit. The gas purification device according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein the electric dust collector is configured to be detachable from the centrifugal dust collector.

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