JP3788226B2 - Control device for vaporizing humidifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control device for a vaporizing humidifier, and more particularly to control of the temperature and sterilization time of hot water when a vaporizing element is sterilized.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a vaporizing humidifier humidifies a vaporizing element with water and applies air generated by a blower fan to the vaporizing element. In some cases, a problem such as adhering and breeding occurs. For this reason, the vaporizing element of the vaporizing humidifier needs to be sterilized by periodically supplying hot water or the like.
[0003]
Therefore, conventionally, a vaporizing humidifier as shown in FIG. 6 has been proposed.
In FIG. 6, 1 is a main body of the vaporizing humidifier, 2 is a water tank provided in the lower part of the main body 1, and 3 is a vaporizing element having water absorption disposed so that the lower part is immersed in the water in the water tank 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a heater for heating the water in the water tank 2, 5 denotes a water tank, 6 denotes a blower fan, 7 denotes a suction port, and 8 denotes a discharge port.
[0004]
In the conventional vaporizing humidifier having the above-described configuration, when normal humidification is performed, water is put into the water tank 2 and an operation switch (not shown) is turned on to turn on the blower fan 6 and the suction port. The outside air is sucked from 7 and discharged from the discharge port 8 through the vaporizing element 3. On the other hand, the vaporizing element 3 sucks up the water in the water tank 2 due to its water absorption and gets wet with the water. Therefore, the air passing through the vaporizing element 3 is humid, and the humid air is released into the room to be humidified. Is done.
The vaporization element 3 is sterilized during the humidification operation or at the end of the humidification operation by appropriately energizing the heater 4 to heat the water in the water tank 2 to hot water, and the vaporization element 3 sucks up the hot water. As a result, the vaporizing element 3 is sterilized.
[0005]
In the sterilization operation, conventionally, a predetermined sterilization operation time has been set regardless of the sterilization effect.
FIG. 7 is a control flowchart in a conventional vaporizing humidifier. The sterilization operation time during which the vaporizing element 3 sucks up hot water is determined in advance, and the sterilization operation is always performed with a constant time control.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of sterilization with hot water, there is a great causal relationship with time in order to obtain a predetermined sterilization effect depending on the temperature of the hot water. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of hot water and the sterilization time in which the number of germs is reduced by three orders of magnitude (1/1000 or less), and it has been experimentally known that there is a correlation. The time (minutes) indicating the vertical axis is a logarithmic scale, and the horizontal axis indicates the temperature of the hot water. Here, the characteristic A shows the relationship between the time for Escherichia coli and the temperature of hot water, and the characteristic B shows the relationship between the time for mold and the temperature of hot water.
[0007]
According to this graph, for example, in heat sterilization of E. coli of characteristic A, sterilization time of 18 minutes is required when the temperature of hot water is 56.7 ° C, and sterilization time is required when the temperature of hot water is 60 ° C. Is required for 1.8 minutes, and when the temperature of the hot water is 63.3 ° C., the sterilization time is 0.18 minutes.
Further, in the heat sterilization of molds of the characteristic B, a sterilization time of 18 minutes is required at a hot water temperature of 62 ° C., and a sterilization time of 1.8 minutes is required at a hot water temperature of 68 ° C. It can be seen that when the water temperature is 74 ° C., the sterilization time is 0.18 minutes.
[0008]
Thus, by supplying hot water continuously for a certain period of time in E. coli and mold, E. coli and mold can be killed and sterilized.
However, in the conventional vaporizing humidifier, as described above, the sterilization time is always set in advance regardless of the temperature of the hot water. Even if the sterilization operation is performed, the sterilization operation has been completed before the effects of killing and eradicating the growth of Escherichia coli and mold are not sufficiently obtained. There is a problem that the sterilization operation is continued unnecessarily as it is, although a sufficient sterilization effect is obtained.
[0009]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. By changing the sterilization time depending on the temperature of hot water, the sterilization time can be optimized, and the sterilization operation time is necessary. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for a vaporizing humidifier that can take a long time to perform a humidification operation that is originally required by shortening to a minimum.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A control device for a vaporizing humidifier according to the present invention includes an operation switch, a blower fan, a vaporizing element, a heater for heating water in a water tank, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot water supplied to the vaporizing element, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer controls the operation of the humidifier and appropriately supplies hot water to the vaporizing element for sterilization. The microcomputer supplies the vaporizing element detected by the temperature sensor during the sterilization operation. It controls to change the length of time of the sterilization operation according to the temperature of the hot water.
[0011]
The microcomputer controls the heater to turn on the heater at the initial stage of operation immediately after the operation switch is turned on to heat and boil the water in the water tank and to start the humidification operation after sterilizing the water tank. It is.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, the control apparatus of the vaporization type humidifier which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a control flowchart showing an operation program stored in a microcomputer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. It is a principal block diagram of the control apparatus of the vaporization type humidifier in Embodiment 1.
[0013]
In FIG. 2, 1 is a main body of the vaporizing humidifier, 2 is a water tank provided in the lower part of the main body 1, and 3 is a vaporizer having water absorption disposed above the water surface in the water tank 2 without touching it. Element 4 is a heater for heating water in the water tank 2, 5 is a water tank, 6 is a blower fan, 7 is a suction port, 8 is a discharge port, 14 is a water temperature in the water tank 2, and the detected value is a heater 4 is a temperature sensor used for both the control of 4 and the setting of the sterilization time, 15 is a pre-filter arranged opposite to the inlet 7, 16 is a pump for pumping up water in the water tank 2, 17 is a water pipe, Reference numeral 18 denotes a shower port provided at the tip of the water pipe 17.
[0014]
In FIG. 3, 9 is a microcomputer, 10 is determination means provided in the microcomputer 9, 11 is an operation switch, 12 is a humidity sensor, 13 is display means, 19 is a humidity setting switch, and 20 is in the microcomputer 9. It is a timer means provided in the.
[0015]
Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the control flowchart of FIG. When the operation switch 11 is turned on (step S1), the microcomputer 9 first performs a humidifying operation (step S2). During normal humidification operation, the heater 4, the blower fan 6, and the pumping pump 16 are energized. Thereby, the water in the water tank 2 is heated to moderate warm water (for example, 60 to 100 ° C.), pumped up by the pumping pump 16, supplied to the vaporizing element 3, and hot water permeates the vaporizing element 3. On the other hand, dry air in the room is sucked in by the operation of the blower fan 6, and the dry air passes through the vaporizing element 3 supplied with water, so that it is humidified by being discharged to the outside. . And this humidification operation is performed for a fixed time (for example, 1 hour), and when the fixed time is counted from the start of the operation by the timer means 20 provided in the microcomputer 9 (step S3), then the operation proceeds to the sterilization operation. (Step S4).
[0016]
Next, the microcomputer 9 reads the detection signal of the temperature sensor 14 that detects the water temperature in the water tank 2 (step S5). The determination means 10 provided in the microcomputer 9 compares and determines whether or not the water temperature is 80 ° C. or higher (step S6). Here, if the detected value of the water temperature is 80 ° C. or higher, the sterilization time is set to 0.5 minutes (step S7). If the detected value of the water temperature is less than 80 ° C., it is next determined whether or not the detected value of the water temperature is 76 ° C. or more (step S8). Here, if the detected value of the water temperature is 76 ° C. or higher, the sterilization time is set to 1 minute (step S9). If the detected value of the water temperature is less than 76 ° C, it is further determined whether or not the detected value of the water temperature is 73 ° C or higher (step S10). Here, if the detected value of the water temperature is 73 ° C. or higher, the sterilization time is set to 5 minutes (step S11). If the detected value of the water temperature is less than 73 ° C., it is further compared whether or not the detected value of the water temperature is 70 ° C. or more (step S12). Here, if the detected value of the water temperature is 70 ° C. or higher, the sterilization time is set to 10 minutes (step S13). If the detected value of the water temperature is less than 70 ° C., the sterilization time is uniformly set to 20 minutes (step S14). Then, the microcomputer 9 starts the heat sterilization operation of the vaporizing element 3 during the set sterilization time, and performs display during the heat sterilization (step S15). During the sterilization operation, the heater 4 and the pumping pump 16 are turned on to heat the water in the water tank 2 into hot water. Hang from above. When the sterilization operation time set from the start of the sterilization operation is counted by the timer means 20 provided in the microcomputer 9, the sterilization operation is terminated (step S16), and the humidification operation is performed again. In this series of operations, when the operation switch 11 is turned off, the operation of the entire humidifier is terminated.
[0017]
Thus, according to Embodiment 1 described above, during the sterilization operation, the temperature of the hot water supplied to the vaporizing element 3 is detected by the temperature sensor 14, and the vaporizing element 3 is changed according to the temperature of the hot water. Since it can be set optimally by changing the length of time to supply hot water, sufficient sterilization effect can be obtained, and the time for humidification operation can be shortened to the minimum for sterilization operation. Can be obtained for a long time. Therefore, even if the sterilization operation ends before the effect of killing the growth of Escherichia coli or mold is not sufficiently obtained, or even if the sufficient sterilization effect has already been obtained, it is sterilized as it is. Problems such as continued operation can be solved.
[0018]
In the first embodiment, when the operation switch 11 is turned on, the humidification operation is started first, and the case where the sterilization operation is performed after the humidification operation is performed for a certain time has been described. May be configured such that immediately after the operation switch 11 is turned on, the sterilization operation is first performed and then the humidification operation is started.
[0019]
Embodiment 2. FIG.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 4 is a control flowchart showing an operation program stored in the Mycolo computer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
In the second embodiment, at the initial operation immediately after the operation switch 11 is turned on, the heater 4 is turned on to heat and boil the water in the water tank 2, and only the inside of the water tank 2 is initially sterilized before the humidification operation is started. It is what I did.
[0020]
Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows that the initial sterilization (first time) determination step (step S21) and the initial sterilization (first time) before the humidification operation of step S2 4 is turned on for 10 minutes, for example, and the water tank 2 is boiled, and an initial sterilization step (step S22) for performing a sterilization operation in the water tank 2 is added. The operation after step S2 is the same as that in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0021]
Therefore, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment, the initial sterilization only in the water tank 2 is performed at the initial operation immediately after the operation switch 11 is turned on. The effect of being able to start the humidification operation in a clean state where germs are hard to occur is obtained, and the humidification operation is performed in a shorter time compared to the case where the sterilization operation is performed by pumping hot water into the vaporizing element 3. Can move on.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to claim 1 of the present invention, during the sterilization operation, the temperature of the hot water supplied to the vaporizing element is detected by the temperature sensor and supplied to the vaporizing element according to the temperature of the hot water. Since the length of the sterilization time is changed, the sterilization time is always optimally set regardless of the temperature of the hot water, and a sufficient sterilization effect can be obtained. And the effect that time can be taken for a humidification driving | operation is acquired.
[0023]
According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, since the initial sterilization is performed at the initial stage of operation immediately after the operation switch is turned on, the humidification operation is performed in a clean state in which various germs are hardly generated. The effect of being able to start is obtained, and the effect of being able to move to the humidifying operation in a short time is obtained compared to the case where the entire sterilization operation is performed by supplying hot water to the vaporizing element. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a control flowchart of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a main block diagram of a control device for a vaporizing humidifier showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the vaporizing humidifier showing the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between hot water temperature and sterilization time in E. coli and mold.
FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram showing a conventional vaporizing humidifier.
FIG. 7 is a control flowchart of a conventional vaporizing humidifier.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Humidifier main body, 2 water tank, 3 vaporization element, 4 heater, 6 ventilation fan, 7 suction inlet, 8 discharge outlet, 9 microcomputer, 10 determination means, 11 operation switch, 14 temperature sensor, 20 timer means.

Claims (2)

An operation switch, a blower fan, a vaporizing element, a heater for heating water in the water tank, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot water supplied to the vaporizing element, a microcomputer, and controlling the operation of the humidifier by the microcomputer, In the sterilization by appropriately supplying hot water to the vaporizing element, the microcomputer performs the sterilization according to the temperature of the hot water supplied to the vaporizing element detected by the temperature sensor during the sterilization operation. A control device for a vaporizing humidifier, characterized in that control is performed so as to change the length of time during which bacteria are operated. The microcomputer controls to start the humidification operation after turning on the heater at the initial stage of operation immediately after the operation switch is turned on to heat and boil the water in the water tank and sterilize in the water tank. The control apparatus of the vaporization type humidifier of Claim 1.

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