JP6637090B2 - Air purification module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air purifying module, and more particularly to a technique for irradiating ultraviolet light to purify air.

  It is known that ultraviolet light has a sterilizing ability, and an ultraviolet light irradiating apparatus is used for a sterilization treatment at a medical or food processing site. An apparatus for irradiating air with ultraviolet light to purify the air is also known. For example, there is a mask-type device that has a built-in ultraviolet LED in a filter portion of a mask worn on the face and purifies air to be breathed. In order to prevent ultraviolet light from leaking to the outside of the mask, the filter portion of the mask is configured to block ultraviolet light (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-139478 A

  When a structure that blocks ultraviolet light at the filter portion of the mask is adopted, there is a concern that the filter may be deteriorated due to the ultraviolet light. In addition, when deep ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 350 nm or less is used to enhance sterilization performance by ultraviolet light, it is difficult to directly recognize ultraviolet light because it is outside the wavelength range that is considered to be visible light, and ultraviolet light is It is difficult to tell whether the output is normal.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide a more suitable air cleaning module using ultraviolet light.

  An air purifying module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing that has an intake port and an exhaust port, and accommodates a first processing chamber that communicates with the intake port and a second processing chamber that communicates with the exhaust port, and a first processing chamber. An intermediate member provided between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber and provided with an air vent communicating the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber; a filter provided in the first processing chamber; and a filter provided in the second processing chamber. A light source that emits ultraviolet light. The intermediate member includes a window member made of a translucent material containing a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light, and the window member converts at least a portion of the ultraviolet light from the light source into visible light. Output to the first processing chamber.

  According to this aspect, since the air to be purified flows in the order of the intake port, the first processing chamber, the ventilation port, the second processing chamber, and the exhaust port, the air in the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber are irradiated by the ultraviolet light. Can be purified. By providing the intermediate member separating the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, deterioration of the filter due to direct irradiation of ultraviolet light can be suppressed. Further, since the window member constituting at least a part of the intermediate member converts the ultraviolet light into the visible light when the light source is turned on, it is possible to visually and easily understand whether the ultraviolet light is normally output.

  The vent may be provided at a position away from the intake in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber are arranged with the intermediate member interposed therebetween. The light source may irradiate the air going from the vent to the exhaust with ultraviolet light.

  At least a portion of the vent may penetrate the window member.

  The intermediate member may further include a ventilation member provided with at least a part of the ventilation port, and the ventilation member may be made of a material different from that of the window member.

  The ventilation member may have a photocatalytic action.

  A photocatalytic member provided between the filter and the window member may be further provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the more suitable air purifying module using ultraviolet light can be provided.

It is a sectional view showing roughly composition of an air purifying module concerning an embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the front surface of a housing | casing roughly. It is a top view which shows the structure of the rear surface of a housing | casing roughly. It is a top view which shows the structure of a light source schematically. It is a top view which shows the structure of an intermediate member schematically. It is a top view which shows the structure of the side surface of a housing | casing roughly. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the intermediate member which concerns on a modification. It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the air purification module which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an air cleaning module 10 according to the embodiment. The air purification module 10 includes a housing 12, an intermediate member 30, a filter 34, and a light source 40. The air purification module 10 purifies the air flowing from the air inlet 22 of the housing 12 and discharges the air from the air outlet 24. The air cleaning module 10 removes fine particles and the like contained in the air using the filter 34 and irradiates the air with ultraviolet light from the light source 40 to sterilize the air. The air purification module 10 can be used, for example, as a filter cartridge for a dust mask or a filter device attached to a ventilation opening of a building.

  The housing 12 has a first housing 13 and a second housing 14. The first housing 13 has an inlet 22 and an outlet 24. The first housing 13 houses a first processing chamber 26 communicating with the intake port 22 and a second processing chamber 28 communicating with the exhaust port 24. The first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28 are partitioned by an intermediate member 30. The intermediate member 30 is provided with a vent 32 communicating the first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28. The shape of the first housing 13 is not particularly limited, but in the illustrated example, the first housing 13 has a cylindrical shape. The first housing 13 has, for example, a circular front surface 16, a circular rear surface 18 facing the front surface 16, and a cylindrical side surface 20. The intake port 22 is provided on the front surface 16, and the exhaust port 24 is provided on the rear surface 18.

  The second housing 14 houses a control unit 46 for driving the light source 40 and a power supply unit 48. The second housing 14 is fixed to the first housing 13, and is attached to, for example, the side surface 20 of the first housing 13. The shape of the second housing 14 is not particularly limited, but in the illustrated example, the second housing 14 has a box shape.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the front surface of the housing 12. A plurality of air inlets 22 are provided on the front surface 16 of the first housing 13. The plurality of air inlets 22 are provided over the entire front surface 16 of the first housing 13 and include a plurality of fan-shaped openings corresponding to the circular front surface 16. The shape of the opening of the intake port 22 is not particularly limited, and may be a polygon such as a triangle, a quadrangle, or a hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, an annular fan, or a combination of these shapes. It may be. The intake port 22 may be constituted by a plurality of openings arranged at a uniform interval in a triangular lattice or a square lattice.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the rear surface of the housing 12. One exhaust port 24 is provided on the rear surface 18 of the first housing 13. The exhaust port 24 is provided only in a part of the rear surface 18 of the first housing 13 symmetrically with the intake port 22. For example, a circular exhaust port 24 is provided at the center of the rear surface 18. In the illustrated example, only one exhaust port 24 is provided, but a plurality of exhaust ports 24 may be provided on the rear surface 18. For example, a plurality of exhaust ports 24 may be provided at the center of the rear surface 18. The shape of the opening of the exhaust port 24 is not particularly limited, and may be a polygon such as a triangle, a quadrangle, or a hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, or an annular sector.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the filter 34 is provided in the first processing chamber 26. The filter 34 is provided so as to close at least a portion between the intake port 22 and the vent 32, and is disposed on a path of air from the intake 22 to the vent 32. In the illustrated example, the filter 34 is provided so as to occupy the entire internal space of the first processing chamber 26. The filter 34 removes dust, dust, fine particles, and the like contained in the air flowing from the intake port 22. The filter 34 can be made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric or a hollow fiber membrane. The filter 34 may be configured by a combination of a plurality of types of air filters having different particle sizes that can be removed, or may be subjected to antibacterial processing or the like. At least a part of the filter 34 may have a photocatalytic action. In this case, a photocatalyst filter may be provided at a location adjacent to the intermediate member 30. For example, a member having a photocatalytic action may be provided between the illustrated filter 34 and the intermediate member 30.

  The light source 40 is provided in the second processing chamber 28. The light source 40 irradiates the air passing through the second processing chamber 28 with ultraviolet light B. The light source 40 has a plurality of light emitting elements 42 and a substrate 44. The plurality of light emitting elements 42 are arranged side by side on the mounting surface of the substrate 44. The light source 40 is attached to the rear surface 18 of the first housing 13, and is arranged to emit ultraviolet light B from the rear surface 18 toward the intermediate member 30.

  The light emitting element 42 is a so-called UV-LED (Ultra Violet-Light Emitting Diode). The light emitting element 42 preferably has a center wavelength or a peak wavelength of light emission in a range of about 200 nm to 350 nm, and emits deep ultraviolet light in the vicinity of 260 nm to 290 nm, which is a wavelength having high sterilization efficiency. As such an ultraviolet LED, for example, an LED using aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) is known.

  The control unit 46 controls the operation of the light source 40. The control unit 46 includes a constant current circuit for driving the plurality of light emitting elements 42, and controls a driving current value of each light emitting element 42 so that each light emitting element 42 outputs ultraviolet light having a predetermined intensity. The power supply unit 48 supplies power to the light source 40 and the control unit 46. The power supply unit 48 includes, for example, a chargeable / dischargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The power supply unit 48 may be configured to convert AC power supplied from an external power supply such as a commercial power supply into DC power of a predetermined voltage and supply power to the light source 40 and the control unit 46.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the light source 40. The substrate 44 has a circular shape corresponding to the rear surface 18 of the first housing 13. A central opening 45 communicating with the exhaust port 24 of the first housing 13 is provided at a central portion of the substrate 44. The plurality of light emitting elements 42 are arranged on the substrate 44 so as to be arranged at uniform intervals.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the intermediate member 30 is provided inside the first housing 13. The intermediate member 30 is a partition that partitions between the first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28. The intermediate member 30 is made of a translucent material containing a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light, and is made of, for example, a glass material or a resin material containing a phosphor. The intermediate member 30 absorbs at least a portion of the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 and converts it into visible light, thereby preventing the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 from being directly irradiated on the filter 34. The intermediate member 30 converts the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 into visible light, so that the user can directly visually recognize that the light source 40 is turned on. The intermediate member 30 is made of a translucent material that transmits visible light, and can be said to be a window member that transmits visible light.

  The vent 32 penetrates the intermediate member 30 and connects the first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28. The ventilation port 32 is preferably provided at a position away from the exhaust port 24, and intersects a direction (also referred to as an axial direction) in which the first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28 are arranged with the intermediate member 30 interposed therebetween (also referred to as an axial direction). (Also referred to as a radial direction) at a position away from the exhaust port 24. By providing the vent 32 at a position radially away from the exhaust port 24, the path of the air from the vent 32 to the exhaust port 24 is lengthened, and the ultraviolet light is efficiently emitted by the air flowing through the second processing chamber 28. Can be irradiated.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the intermediate member 30. The intermediate member 30 has a disk shape corresponding to the shape of the first housing 13. The plurality of vents 32 are provided so as to penetrate the intermediate member 30. The plurality of ventilation holes 32 are provided in the outer peripheral region 52 outside the broken line D shown in FIG. 5 and are provided so as to avoid the irradiation region 50 inside the broken line D. The irradiation region 50 corresponds to a region where the plurality of light emitting elements 42 are provided, and is a region where the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 mainly enters. By providing the vent 32 in the outer peripheral region 52, it is possible to prevent the filter 34 from being irradiated with the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 through the vent 32. In addition, by providing the vent 32 in the outer peripheral region 52, the distance from the vent 32 to the exhaust port 24 can be increased, and the path through which the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 is irradiated is lengthened to improve the sterilization efficiency. Can be enhanced.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of the side surface 20 of the housing 12. A plurality of opening windows 21 are provided on the side surface 20 of the first housing 13. The plurality of opening windows 21 are provided at positions corresponding to the intermediate member 30, and are provided so that side surfaces of the intermediate member 30 can be viewed from outside the housing 12. The intermediate member 30 may be directly exposed to the outside in the opening window 21, or a transparent or translucent member that transmits visible light may be provided in the opening window 21. By providing the opening window 21, visible light generated by the intermediate member 30 absorbing ultraviolet light during operation of the air purification module 10 can be visually recognized through the opening window 21. This makes it easy to visually recognize that the light source 40 is turned on. Note that the opening window 21 may not be provided. Also in this case, since the filter 34 is illuminated with the visible light output from the intermediate member 30, the operating state of the light source 40 can be visually confirmed by confirming whether or not the back side of the filter 34 emits light.

  Next, the operation of the air cleaning module 10 will be described. The air flowing from the intake port 22 along the arrow A1 passes through the filter 34 in the first processing chamber 26 to remove dust, dust, fine particles, and the like. The air that has passed through the filter 34 passes through the ventilation port 32 along the arrow A2, and flows from the ventilation port 32 toward the exhaust port 24. The light source 40 irradiates the air flowing from the vent 32 to the exhaust port 24 with ultraviolet light B to sterilize the air. The air sterilized in the second processing chamber 28 is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 24 as shown by an arrow A3. The intermediate member 30 converts at least a part of the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40 into visible light. Since the visible light emitted by the intermediate member 30 is output to the outside of the housing 12 through the opening window 21, the operating state of the light source 40 can be visually checked by checking whether the opening window 21 emits light.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the air purification module 10 having more excellent purification performance by combining the filter 34 and the ultraviolet light irradiation. Further, since visible light leaks from the opening window 21 when the light source 40 is turned on, the operating state of the light source 40 can be directly visually confirmed even when ultraviolet light in a wavelength band that is difficult to view is used. Further, since the intermediate member 30 shields the ultraviolet light, the filter 34 can be prevented from being deteriorated due to the direct irradiation of the ultraviolet light. Thereby, the air purifying module 10 that can be used for a long time can be provided.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of the intermediate member 130 according to the modification. In the present modified example, the intermediate member 130 includes a window member 136 and a ventilation member 138. The window member 136 is made of a translucent material containing a phosphor. The ventilation member 138 is a ring-shaped member attached to the outer periphery of the window member 136, and is made of a material different from that of the window member 136. The material of the ventilation member 138 is not particularly limited, but may be made of a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or a fluorine-based resin material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In this modification, a ventilation port penetrating the window member 136 is not provided, and the ventilation port 132 is provided on a ventilation member 138 separate from the window member 136. This modification can also provide the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an air purification module 210 according to a modification. The present modified example is different from the above-described embodiment in that the exhaust port 224 is provided not on the central portion of the rear surface 18 of the first housing 13 but on the outer peripheral portion of the rear surface 18. Further, this modified example is different from the above-described embodiment in that a ventilation member 238 is provided at the center of the intermediate member 230. Hereinafter, this modified example will be described focusing on differences from the above-described embodiment, and description of common contents will be appropriately omitted.

The intermediate member 230 includes a window member 236 and a ventilation member 238. The ventilation member 238 is provided at a central portion of the intermediate member 230 and has a ventilation hole that communicates the first processing chamber 26 and the second processing chamber 28. The ventilation member 238 is made of, for example, a porous material, such as a porous ceramic material. The ventilation member 238 has a photocatalytic action, and supports a material having a photocatalytic action such as titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ). The window member 236 has a ring shape and is attached to the outer periphery of the ventilation member 238. The window member 236 is made of a translucent material containing a phosphor.

  According to the present modification, the air passing through the ventilation member 238 along the arrow A2 can be purified using the photocatalytic action, so that the purification performance can be further improved. Also in this modification, the ultraviolet light B that can be directly applied to the filter 34 can be blocked by at least one of the window member 236 and the ventilation member 238, so that deterioration of the filter 34 due to ultraviolet light can be suppressed. Further, since the window member 236 outputs visible light by the ultraviolet light B from the light source 40, the operating state of the light source 40 can be shown visually in an easily understandable manner.

  The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and that various design changes are possible, various modifications are possible, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Where it is.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Air purification module, 12 ... Case, 22 ... Intake port, 24 ... Exhaust port, 26 ... 1st processing chamber, 28 ... 2nd processing chamber, 30 ... Intermediate member, 32 ... Vent, 34 ... Filter, 40 …light source.

Claims (6)

A housing that has an intake port and an exhaust port, and houses a first processing chamber that communicates with the intake port and a second processing chamber that communicates with the exhaust port;
An intermediate member provided between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, and provided with a vent that communicates the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber;
A filter provided in the first processing chamber;
A light source that emits ultraviolet light and is provided in the second processing chamber;
The intermediate member includes a window member made of a translucent material containing a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light, and the window member converts at least a part of the ultraviolet light from the light source into visible light. An air purifying module, wherein the air purifying module converts and outputs the converted air into the first processing chamber. The vent is provided in the remote intermediate member in a direction in which the first processing chamber and said second processing chamber intersects the direction aligned across from the exhaust port position,
2. The air purification module according to claim 1, wherein the light source irradiates ultraviolet light to air flowing from the vent to the exhaust port. 3.   The air purification module according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the ventilation hole penetrates the window member.   The intermediate member further includes a ventilation member provided with at least a part of the ventilation port, and the ventilation member is made of a different material from the window member. The air purifying module according to the paragraph.   The air purification module according to claim 4, wherein the ventilation member has a photocatalytic action.   The air purification module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a member having a photocatalytic action provided between the filter and the window member.

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