JP7332932B2 - air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to air conditioners.

Air conditioners that sterilize by irradiating ultraviolet rays are known. An air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an indoor unit having a plurality of lamps (irradiation units) that irradiate light including ultraviolet rays. A rectangular suction port and four outlets surrounding the suction port are provided on the lower surface of the indoor unit. The indoor unit has a casing, a blower (fan) arranged in the center of the casing, and a heat exchanger arranged annularly corresponding to four outlets so as to surround the blower. An annular drain pan is arranged below the heat exchanger to receive water droplets from the heat exchanger. A plurality of lamps arranged near the upper end of the heat exchanger irradiate the drain pan with light including ultraviolet rays.

JP-A-2001-324195

In the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Literature 1, an irradiation unit is used for each of the four outlets, so there is a problem that the number of parts increases.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner with a small number of irradiation units.

An air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes a casing having an air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, a fan arranged in the casing and configured to generate an airflow in the casing from the air inlet to the air outlet, and an irradiating part arranged in the casing for irradiating ultraviolet rays. The irradiating section irradiates a space downstream of the suction port and upstream of the fan with ultraviolet rays in the direction of the airflow.

According to the present disclosure, the number of irradiation units can be reduced.

The air conditioner according to the present disclosure may be ceiling mounted. As a result, the air sterilization effect in the vicinity of the ceiling can be enhanced.

The emission direction of the ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation unit may be upward from the horizontal in the vertical direction. As a result, it is possible to suppress the ultraviolet rays from leaking to the outside from the suction port.

The suction port is rectangular, and the airflow passage formed on four sides is provided from the suction port to the fan, and the irradiation unit is provided on four sides of the suction port except for the four corners, or It may be arranged on a surface of the passage except four corners among the four surfaces of the passage, and may irradiate the inside of the passage with ultraviolet rays. This makes it possible to reduce the area where the ultraviolet intensity is low.

In this case, the irradiation unit is arranged at a position excluding the center of each of the four sides of the suction port, or at a position excluding the center of a direction connecting both ends of each of the four surfaces of the passage. is preferred. This makes it possible to further reduce the region where the ultraviolet intensity is low.

The irradiating part is arranged on a first side of the four sides of the suction port, or on a first side of the four sides of the passage, and A second side opposite to the first side, or a second irradiation section arranged on a second side of the four sides of the passageway opposite to the first side may be included. As a result, areas in the passageway where the UV intensity is insufficient can be reduced.

A filter is further provided within the casing and arranged between the suction port and the fan along the direction of the airflow, and the irradiation unit is positioned in a space upstream of the filter in the direction of the airflow. You may irradiate with ultraviolet rays. As a result, the filter and the air passing through the filter can be sterilized.

It is preferable to further include a member for regulating the direction of the ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation section toward the suction port. As a result, it is possible to suppress the ultraviolet rays from leaking to the outside from the suction port.

It is preferable that the irradiation unit includes a UVC-LED. This can enhance the sterilization effect.

1 is a plan view of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from below; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 taken along line II-II. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view along line III-III of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 and a partial enlarged view thereof; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 with the intake grille and the decorative panel removed; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between an ultraviolet irradiation unit, UVC irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and a coarse dust filter in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between an ultraviolet irradiation unit and ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit and a coarse dust filter in the air conditioner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between an ultraviolet irradiation unit, ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and a coarse dust filter in an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between an ultraviolet irradiation unit, ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and a coarse dust filter in an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment.

(First embodiment)
<Overall Configuration of Air Conditioner>
First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the overall configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, directions such as "up", "down", "vertical", and "horizontal" represent directions when the air conditioner 1 is installed in the state shown in FIG.

The air conditioner 1 includes a casing 10, an intake grille 20, a decorative panel 25, a fan 30, a straightening member 40, four filter units 50, a coarse dust filter 60, a prefilter 70, and a sterilization section. 90 and a control unit 100 .

The air conditioner 1 is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner in which a casing 10 is embedded in the ceiling C. As shown in FIG.

The fan 30 , the rectifying member 40 , the four filter units 50 , the coarse dust filter 60 , the pre-filter 70 and the sterilization section 90 are arranged inside the casing 10 . Control unit 100 is fixed to the outer surface of casing 10 .

The casing 10 is a square tube-shaped member with a bottom, and has a rectangular opening 10x on the bottom surface. A suction grille 20 and a decorative panel 25 are attached to the lower surface of the casing 10 . The intake grille 20 and the decorative panel 25 are arranged along the ceiling surface C1.

The suction grille 20 is a rectangular plate member and covers the opening 10x on the lower surface of the casing 10. As shown in FIG. The intake grille 20 has a protrusion 20z at one end. The convex portion 20z extends horizontally along one of the four sides of the rectangular suction grille 20 . The suction grille 20 is rotatably supported with respect to the casing 10 around the protrusion 20z. The opening 10x is opened and closed by rotating the intake grille 20 with respect to the casing 10 around the protrusion 20z. In other words, by rotating the intake grille 20 with respect to the casing 10, a state in which the opening 10x is closed and a state in which the opening 10x is open can be established as shown in FIG. Also, the intake grille 20 is detachable from the casing 10 .

The suction grille 20 has a central region 20r1 formed with a suction port 11 composed of a plurality of through holes 11x, and an edge region 20r2 outside the central region 20r1. The convex portion 20z is provided in the edge region 20r2.

The decorative panel 25 is formed along the periphery of the intake grille 20 and has four straight portions corresponding to the four sides of the intake grille 20 respectively. A flap 25f is provided on each straight portion of the decorative panel 25. As shown in FIG. The flap 25f is rotatably supported with respect to the decorative panel 25. As shown in FIG. The blowout port 12 is opened and closed by rotating the flap 25f with respect to the decorative panel. In other words, by rotating the flap 25f with respect to the decorative panel, a state in which the outlet 12 is closed as shown in FIG. 1 and a state in which the outlet 12 is opened as shown in FIG. 2 can be established.

Thus, the suction port 11 and the blowout port 12 are arranged on the lower surface of the casing 10 .

Fan 30 is a centrifugal fan and has motor 31 and a plurality of fins 32 . By rotating the fins 32 by driving the motor 31, the fan 30 passes through the pre-filter 70 and the coarse dust filter 60 from the suction port 11 as indicated by the thick arrow in FIG. , to the filter unit 50 and further to the blowout port 12 to generate an airflow.

The fan 30 is arranged above the suction port 11 . The fan 30 faces the suction port 11 and overlaps the suction port 11 in the vertical direction.

The straightening member 40 is a cylindrical member that forms an air passage from the suction port 11 to the fan 30 and straightens the air from the suction port 11 to the fan 30 . The straightening member 40 vertically overlaps the suction port 11 and is arranged above the suction port 11 and below the fan 30 .

The rectifying member 40 has a substantially truncated conical upper portion 41 and a rectangular tubular lower portion 42 . The upper end 41a of the upper portion 41 overlaps the lower end 32b of the fin 32 in the horizontal direction. The lower portion 42 is closer to the suction port 11 than the upper portion 41 and has a larger diameter than the upper end 41 a of the upper portion 41 .

Each of the four filter units 50 is arranged above the suction port 11 and on the side of the fan 30 . The four filter units 50 are arranged along the circumference of the fan 30 at positions facing each of the four side surfaces of the casing 10 .

Each filter unit 50 has a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) 51 , a deodorizing filter 52 and a filter frame 55 . The filter frame 55 supports the HEPA filter 51 and the deodorizing filter 52 and is detachable from the casing 10 .

The HEPA filter 51 and the deodorizing filter 52 are laminated along the direction of the airflow. The deodorizing filter 52 is arranged downstream of the HEPA filter 51 in the direction of the airflow. The HEPA filter 51 has a pleated shape with peaks and valleys formed along the direction of the airflow. The deodorizing filter 52 absorbs odorous components, and reduces the odorous components from the room in which the air conditioner 1 is installed. The deodorizing filter 52 is made of activated carbon, for example.

Each filter unit 50 is arranged to intersect a vertical plane and a horizontal plane. In other words, each filter unit 50 is obliquely arranged. The surface of each filter 51, 52 intersects the vertical and horizontal directions. In each filter unit 50, the lower end 50b is positioned closer to the fan 30 in the horizontal direction and inside the casing 10 than the upper end 50a.

The lower end 55 b of the filter frame 55 corresponds to the lower end 50 b of the filter unit 50 , and the upper end 55 a of the filter frame 55 corresponds to the upper end 50 a of the filter unit 50 .

A lower end 50 b of each filter unit 50 is located above a lower end 40 b of the straightening member 40 .

The coarse dust filter 60 is attached to the lower portion 42 of the rectifying member 40 and arranged between the suction port 11 and the fan 30 in the direction of the airflow. The coarse dust filter 60 includes an upper holder (not shown) arranged below the lower portion 42 of the rectifying member 40 and a lower holder 64 ( (see FIG. 4).

The coarse dust filter 60 is vertically separated from the upper end 42a of the lower portion 42 of the rectifying member 40 . As a result, the coarse dust filter 60 does not interfere with the rectifying effect of the rectifying member 40 .

The pre-filter 70 is supported on the upper surface of the central region 20r1 of the intake grille 20 and arranged between the intake port 11 and the coarse dust filter 60 in the direction of the airflow. The pre-filter 70 covers the plurality of through holes 11x forming the suction port 11. As shown in FIG. The air sucked from the suction port 11 is purified by the pre-filter 70 and then supplied into the casing 10 .

The HEPA filter 51 has a collection efficiency of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm or more. The minimum particle size (particle diameter 0.3 μm) at which a predetermined collection efficiency (for example, 99.97%) is obtained by the HEPA filter 51 is the minimum particle size at which the predetermined collection efficiency is obtained by the coarse dust filter 60. less than The minimum particle size for which the pre-filter 70 provides the predetermined collection efficiency is larger than the minimum particle size for which the coarse dust filter 60 provides the predetermined collection efficiency.

The sterilization unit 90 includes an irradiation unit 91 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) that irradiates ultraviolet rays, and an active species generation unit 92 that generates active species. The downstream and upstream of the fan 30 (between the pre-filter 70 and the coarse dust filter 60) are sterilized. In the present disclosure, sterilization of bacteria by ultraviolet light and active species, decomposition of odorous components and viruses, etc. are collectively simply referred to as "sterilization".

The irradiation unit 91 includes a UVC-LED (ultraviolet C-light emitting diode) 95 (see FIG. 3) that emits ultraviolet C waves (hereinafter referred to as "UVC") with a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm. UVC-LED 95 irradiates UVC toward between suction port 11 and coarse dust filter 60 . The HEPA filter 51 is pleated, whereas the coarse dust filter 60 is flat. Here, the term “flat” means that the surface has no folds (pleats) and that there is no shaded portion when the surface is irradiated with light from an oblique direction. In the case of a pleated shape like the HEPA filter 51, it is difficult for UVC to reach deep. On the other hand, since the coarse dust filter 60 is flat, the UVC easily reaches the far end.

The active species generator 92 decomposes harmful substances including odorous components. The active species generator 92 has an inlet 92x and an outlet 92y. The suction port 92x is arranged between the deodorizing filter 52 and the blowout port 12 in the direction of the airflow. The blow-out port 92y is arranged downstream of the suction port 11 and upstream of the fan 30 (between the pre-filter 70 and the coarse dust filter 60) in the direction of the airflow. Odorous components in the air that remain without being adsorbed by the deodorizing filter 52 are taken into the active species generator 92 through the suction port 92x and decomposed by the active species generator 92 before being blown out from the blower port 12 . Then, air from which harmful substances including odorous components have been removed by the active species generator 92 is supplied between the pre-filter 70 and the coarse dust filter 60 from the air outlet 92y.

The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and controls the fan 30 and the sterilization unit 90 .

<Details of irradiation part>
Between the suction port 11 and the coarse dust filter 60, the airflow passage P is provided. The passage P is formed by being surrounded by four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4, as shown in FIGS. Although the four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4 have irregularities and openings, they are generally flat surfaces, and in the present embodiment, each surface is substantially a flat surface. All of the four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4 are vertical surfaces. The four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4 are orthogonal to each other, and as can be seen from FIG. It is a square with

The irradiation unit 91 is arranged on one surface of the four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4 except four corners corresponding to the corners C1, C2, C3, and C4, and irradiates the inside of the passage P with UVC. In the present embodiment, the irradiating unit 91 is located in one of the four surfaces S1, S2, S3, and S4, which is parallel to the outer surface of the casing 10 to which the control unit 100 is fixed and which is closest to the control unit 100 in plan view. and is arranged at a position Y (between the center X and the corner C1) which is neither at both ends (corners C1 and C2) nor at the center X in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S1. The irradiation unit 91 is located outside the area facing the coarse dust filter 60 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the vertical direction, front-rear direction and left-right direction of the air conditioner 1 are defined as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the UVC-LED 95 is supported by a slightly inclined substrate 94 so that the upper end is located behind the lower end. UVC-LED 95 is electrically connected to control unit 100 . The UVC-LED 95 is covered by a cap 96 that defines the illumination angle into the passage P. An ultraviolet ray passage surface 96a, which is the front surface of the cap 96, is slightly inclined such that the upper end is located behind the lower end. In this embodiment, the UVC that has passed through the cap 96 from the UVC-LED 95 spreads according to the light distribution defined by the cap 96 . As can be seen from the enlarged view of FIG. 3, the UVC emission direction D is directed upward at an angle .theta.1 with respect to the horizontal line in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the light emission direction D is a direction perpendicular to the passage surface 96 a that is the front surface of the cap 96 .

As shown in FIG. 5 in which the coarse dust filter 60 is viewed from below, the UVC spreads in the passage P from the irradiation section 91 at an obtuse angle θ2 in plan view. A line segment E1 indicates the direction that bisects the angle θ2. In this embodiment, the line segment E1 is orthogonal to the passing surface 96a, which is the front surface of the cap 96. As shown in FIG. The line segment E1 may or may not match the direction of the intensity center of the UVC emitted from the irradiation unit 91 . The length of the line segment E1 can be interpreted as representing the emission intensity of the UVC-LED 95. FIG. The irradiation unit 91 is arranged such that the passage surface 96a, which is the front surface of the cap 96, is inclined with respect to the surface S1. Specifically, in FIG. 5, the irradiation section 91 is inclined so that the left end of the passage surface 96a is closer to the surface S1 than the right end thereof. Therefore, the line segment E1 is inclined at an acute angle θ3 with respect to the line segment connecting the center X and the position Y of the surface S1. The line segment E1 passes between the center point O of the square coarse dust filter 60 and the surface S4 toward the surface S3. The distance from the tip of the line segment E1 to the surface S3 is relatively small, but the distance from the tip of the line segment E1 to the corner C3 and the surface S2 is the distance from the tip of the line segment E1 to the corner C4 and the surface S4. becomes relatively large compared to

A shielding member 97 is arranged in front of the irradiation unit 91 to regulate the UVC irradiation range. The shielding member 97 corresponds to "a member that regulates the direction of ultraviolet rays toward the suction port 11" in the present disclosure. The shielding member 97 is formed with an upper surface 97a and a lower surface 97b facing the UVC passage area. The upper surface 97a inclined upward toward the front blocks UVC rays directed upward from the cap 96 and backward from the cap 96. As shown in FIG. The lower surface 97b is a horizontal surface having a projection at its tip. In this embodiment, the lower surface 97b is level with the lower ends of the UVC-LEDs 95. As shown in FIG. The lower surface 97b blocks UVC directed downward from the cap 96 . Due to the arrangement of the shielding member 97, the UVC is not irradiated toward the suction port 11, and passes through the irradiation area R (indicated by hatching in FIG. 3) through which the UVC passes in the passage P. The coarse dust filter 60 at the upper end of P and the three surfaces S2, S3, and S4 in the passage P other than the surface S1 where the irradiation unit 91 is located are irradiated. The lower end of the irradiation area R is sufficiently separated from the suction port 11. - 特許庁

The UVC emitted from the irradiation unit 91 sterilizes the air in the irradiation area R and also sterilizes the coarse dust filter 60 to which bacteria, viruses, and the like adhere. As a result, the air that passes through the coarse dust filter 60, passes through the fan 30, the HEPA filter 51, and the deodorizing filter 52 and is blown out from the outlet 12 is sterilized.

As described above, the irradiation unit 91 emits UVC toward the inside of the passage P, which is the space upstream of the coarse dust filter 60 arranged between the suction port 11 and the fan 30 in the direction of the airflow. Irradiate. In this embodiment, the air passing through the passage P and the coarse dust filter 60 can be sterilized using only one irradiation unit 91 . Since sterilization can be performed with such a small number of irradiation units 91, the number of parts can be reduced, and an increase in size of the casing 10 can be suppressed. Therefore, cost reduction of the air conditioner 1 can also be achieved. Since the irradiation unit 91 irradiates UVC toward the interior of the passage P, which is the space upstream of the coarse dust filter 60, the coarse dust filter 60 and the air passing through the coarse dust filter 60 can be sterilized. Since the irradiation unit 91 irradiates the UVC, which is a wavelength range having a high sterilization effect, from the UVC-LED 95, the sterilization effect is high. The air conditioner 1 can enhance the effect of sterilizing the air near the ceiling. In addition, in the present embodiment, since the number of suction ports 11 is less than the number of air outlets 12, compared to the case where the number of suction ports 11 is equal to or greater than the number of air outlets 12, the distance from the suction port to the coarse dust filter 60 is reduced. It is possible to simplify the structure of the above-mentioned airflow passage.

In this embodiment, since the UVC emission direction D forms an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal line and faces upward, it is possible to suppress the UVC from leaking from the suction port 11 to the outside. A shielding member 97 is arranged in front of the irradiation unit 91 to restrict the UVC from going to the suction port 11 . Therefore, the UVC irradiated from the irradiation unit 91 is suppressed from leaking to the outside from the suction port 11 .

The UVC irradiation intensity on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 attenuates in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the UVC-LED 95 to the irradiation point, and is proportional to the cosine (cos θ4) of the incident angle θ4 of the UVC on the coarse dust filter 60. and attenuate. The incident angle θ4 is the angle between the incident light and the normal to the surface, and an example is shown in FIG. Since the incident angle θ4 increases as the irradiation point is farther from the irradiation unit 91, the UVC irradiation intensity is lower as the irradiation point is farther from the UVC-LED 95. FIG. In order to obtain a sufficient sterilization effect on the coarse dust filter 60, it is desired that the irradiation intensity at the irradiation point is a certain value or more. On the other hand, since there is an upper limit to the emission intensity of the UVC-LED 95, the UVC emitted from one UVC-LED 95 may not irradiate the entire surface of the coarse dust filter 60 with an irradiation intensity equal to or higher than a certain value.

As in the present embodiment, the irradiation unit 91 is arranged so that the UVC is irradiated toward the inside of the passage P from the position Y which is neither the center X nor both ends in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S1, and the center X and the position Y are arranged. By inclining the line segment E1 so as to form an acute angle θ3 with respect to the line segment connecting , it is possible to reduce the region where the irradiation intensity is less than a certain value. Specifically, in FIG. 5, the area F1 on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C3, which is the boundary between the surface S2 and the surface S3, has a large distance from the irradiation unit 91, so the UVC irradiation intensity is is less than a certain value, but its area is relatively small. In addition, since the area F2 on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C1, which is the boundary between the surface S1 and the surface S4, is outside the range of the angle θ2, the UVC irradiation intensity is less than a certain value. , its area is relatively small. There is a possibility that the areas F1 and F2 of the coarse dust filter 60 may not be sufficiently sterilized, but as a countermeasure, a member is arranged to block these two areas F1 and F2, and the areas F1 and F2 are defined as air non-passage areas. good too. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower holder 64 includes a plate 64a having dimensions capable of covering the area F2. The plate 64a is formed integrally with a square outer frame that is the main body of the lower holder 64. As shown in FIG. By covering the surface of the area F2 with the plate 64a, the area F2 becomes an air non-passage area. In addition, although not shown, the lower holder 64 also includes a plate having dimensions capable of blocking the area F1. The total area of the regions F1 and F2 is smaller than the area of the region F3 described in the second embodiment and the total area of the regions F4, F5, F6 and F7 described in the third embodiment.

(Second embodiment)
Next, an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with further reference to FIG. The air conditioner according to this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the position of the irradiation unit 91 and the irradiation range. Therefore, in the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the irradiation section 91 is arranged near one of the four corners C1 where the surfaces S1 and S4 are connected. The irradiation unit 91 irradiates UVC from the corner C1 into the passage P. As shown in FIG. The UVC-LED is located outside the passage P and not facing the coarse dust filter 60 in the vertical direction. The UVC spreads in the passage P from the irradiation unit 91 at an angle θ5 in plan view. The angle θ5 is slightly larger than 90°. A line segment E2 indicates the direction that bisects the angle θ5. In FIG. 6, the length of line segment E2 is the same as the length of line segment E1 in FIG. In this embodiment, the line segment E2 is orthogonal to the passage surface 96a described above. The line segment E2 may or may not match the direction of the intensity center of the UVC emitted from the irradiation unit 91 . The irradiation section 91 is arranged such that the passage surface 96a is inclined at 45° with respect to both the surface S1 and the surface S4. Line segment E2 is inclined at 45° with respect to both planes S1 and S4. Line segment E2 passes through center point O of coarse dust filter 60 .

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the air passing through the passage P and the coarse dust filter 60 can be sterilized using only one irradiation unit 91 . Since sterilization can be performed with such a small number of irradiation units 91, the number of parts can be reduced, and an increase in size of the casing 10 can be suppressed.

As in the present embodiment, the irradiation unit 91 is arranged so that the UVC is irradiated from the corner C1 toward the inside of the passage P. Therefore, the angle θ5 that defines the UVC irradiation range in plan view is the first embodiment. It can be made smaller than in the case of the third and fourth embodiments described later. Therefore, the irradiation intensity of UVC can be increased at a position relatively close to the irradiation unit 91, and the sterilization effect can be improved. In addition, at least part of the effects described in the first embodiment can also be obtained in this embodiment.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the area where the irradiation intensity is less than a certain value is larger than in the case of the first embodiment and third and fourth embodiments described later. In FIG. 6, the area F3 on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C3, which is the boundary between the surface S2 and the surface S3, has a large distance from the irradiation unit 91, so the UVC irradiation intensity is less than a certain value. becomes. The area of the region F3 is larger than the area of the region F1 described with reference to FIG.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with further reference to FIG. The air conditioner according to this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the position of the irradiation unit 91 and the irradiation range. Therefore, in the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the irradiation unit 91 is arranged near the center X in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S1 in plan view. The irradiation unit 91 irradiates UVC from the center X toward the inside of the passage P. As shown in FIG. The UVC-LED is located outside the passage P and not facing the coarse dust filter 60 in the vertical direction. The UVC spreads in the passage P from the irradiation unit 91 at an angle θ6 in plan view. The angle θ6 is greater than the angle θ2. A line segment E3 indicates the direction that bisects the angle θ6. In FIG. 7, the length of line segment E3 is the same as the length of line segment E1 in FIG. In this embodiment, the line segment E3 is orthogonal to the passage surface 96a described above. The line segment E3 may or may not match the direction of the intensity center of the UVC emitted from the irradiation unit 91 . The irradiation unit 91 is arranged such that the passage surface 96a is parallel to the surface S1. Line segment E3 is orthogonal to surface S1. Line segment E3 passes through center point O of coarse dust filter 60 . The distance from the tip of line segment E3 to surface S3 is relatively small, but the distance from the tip of line segment E3 to corners C3 and C4 is relatively large.

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the air passing through the passage P and the coarse dust filter 60 can be sterilized using only one irradiation unit 91 . Since sterilization can be performed with such a small number of irradiation units 91, the number of parts can be reduced, and an increase in size of the casing 10 can be suppressed.

As in the present embodiment, since the irradiation unit 91 is arranged so that the UVC is irradiated from the center X in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S1 toward the inside of the passage P, the irradiation intensity is less than a certain value. can be made smaller. Specifically, in FIG. 7, areas on the surface of coarse dust filter 60 near corner C3, which is the boundary between surfaces S2 and S3, and near corner C4, which is the boundary between surfaces S3 and S4. Since F4 and F5 are far from the irradiation unit 91, the irradiation intensity of UVC is less than a certain value, but the area is relatively small. Areas F6 and F7 on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C1, which is the boundary between the surfaces S1 and S4, and near the corner C2, which is the boundary between the surfaces S1 and S2, have an angle Although it is within the range of θ6, since it is near the boundary of the range, the amount of light distribution is smaller than that in the direction of the line segment E3, and the distance from the irradiation unit 91 is also large. Therefore, although the irradiation intensity of UVC is less than a certain value, the area is relatively small. In addition, at least part of the effects described in the first embodiment can also be obtained in this embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with further reference to FIG. The air conditioner according to this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that it has two irradiation units. Therefore, in the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the air conditioner according to the present embodiment moves into the passage P from a position YA which is neither the both ends (corners C1, C2) of the surface S1 nor the center XA in the direction connecting the both ends of the surface S1. irradiating part 91A that irradiates UVC toward the inside of the path P from a position YB that is not at both ends (corners C3, C4) of the surface S3 facing the surface S1 and is not at the center XB in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S3 and an irradiation unit 91B for irradiating UVC. 91 A of irradiation parts are in the same position as the irradiation part 91 demonstrated in 1st Embodiment, and the inclination angle with respect to the surface S1 of the passage surface 96a is also the same.

The irradiation section 91A and the irradiation section 91B are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the center point O of the coarse dust filter 60 in plan view. Specifically, the UVC spreads in the passage P at an obtuse angle θ2A from the irradiation section 91A in plan view. A line segment E1A indicates the direction that bisects the angle θ2A. The line segment E1A is inclined at an acute angle θ3A with respect to the line segment connecting the center XA and the position YA. Similarly, UVC spreads in the passage P at an obtuse angle θ2B from the irradiation section 91B in a plan view. A line segment E1B indicates the direction that bisects the angle θ2B. The line segment E1B is inclined at an acute angle θ3B with respect to the line segment connecting the center XB and the position YB. The angle θ2A has the same magnitude as the angle θ2B. The angle θ3A has the same magnitude as the angle θ3B. The distance from corner C1 to position YA is the same as the distance from corner C3 to position YB.

In this embodiment, the air passing through the passage P and the coarse dust filter 60 can be sterilized using the two irradiation units 91A and 91B. Since sterilization can be performed with such a small number of irradiation units 91A and 91B, the number of parts can be reduced, and an increase in size of the casing 10 can be suppressed.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the two irradiation units 91A and 91B are used, the area where the irradiation intensity is less than a certain value can be made smaller than in the first embodiment. Specifically, in FIG. 8, a region F2A on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C1, which is the boundary between the surfaces S1 and S4, is outside the UVC angle θ2A from the irradiation unit 91A, and Since the distance from the irradiation unit 91B is large, the UVC irradiation intensity is less than a certain value, but the area is relatively small. Similarly, the region F2B on the surface of the coarse dust filter 60 near the corner C3, which is the boundary between the surface S2 and the surface S3, is outside the UVC angle θ2B from the irradiation unit 91B and Although the UVC irradiation intensity is less than a certain value due to the large distance, the area is relatively small. The total value of the areas of the regions F2A and F2B is smaller than the total value of the areas of the regions F1 and F2 in the first embodiment. In addition, at least part of the effects described in the first embodiment can also be obtained in this embodiment.

<Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the irradiation section 91 irradiates the passage P between the suction port 11 and the coarse dust filter 60 with ultraviolet rays. However, in the present disclosure, the irradiation unit 91 may irradiate the space downstream of the suction port 11 and upstream of the fan 30 in the direction of the airflow generated by the fan 30 . For example, an irradiating section that irradiates ultraviolet rays may be provided in the passage between the coarse dust filter 60 and the fan 30 in the direction of the airflow.

In the present disclosure, the term “ceiling installation type” refers to a ceiling-mounted type such as the above-described embodiment, as well as a ceiling-suspended type (the casing 10 is attached to the ceiling C with the casing 10 protruding downward from the ceiling surface C1). configuration), etc. Further, the air conditioner of the present disclosure is not limited to the ceiling-mounted type, and may be a floor-mounted or wall-mounted type air conditioner. In the embodiment described above, the number of outlets is four, but the number of outlets may be any number of two or more. As long as the number of outlets is plural, the number may be the same as the number of inlets, or may be less than the number of inlets. The irradiation unit 91 may irradiate UVA with a wavelength of 320 to 400 nm and UVB with a wavelength of 280 to 320 nm in addition to or instead of UVC. However, among UVA, UVB and UVC, UVC has the highest sterilization effect.

In the above-described embodiment, the irradiator is arranged on one or two of the four sides S1, S2, S3, and S4 forming the passage P. One or two irradiation units may be arranged. At this time, it is preferable that the irradiating portion is located at a position other than the four corners of the four sides forming the suction port 11, and furthermore, at a position other than the center of each side of the four sides forming the suction port 11.

In the above-described embodiment, the passage P is a quadrangular prism with a square horizontal cross section, but the passage P may be a quadrangular pyramid whose cross section increases or decreases toward the top. In addition, in the present disclosure, the four corners may be chamfered and connected by rounding the corners instead of forming right angles and connecting the four corners, or chamfering and connecting the four corners. may be an angular surface.

In the fourth embodiment, the two irradiation units 91A and 91B may not be arranged point-symmetrically. Also, the two irradiation units 91A and 91B may be arranged on two adjacent surfaces instead of on the two surfaces facing each other. In the fourth embodiment, the two irradiation units 91A and 91B may be located at the center XA in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S1 and the center XB in the direction connecting both ends of the surface S3, respectively, or at the corners C1 and C3. There may be.

The air conditioner may further comprise a heat exchanger and thereby have a heating and/or cooling function. Blowing may be in two directions, three directions, etc., in addition to the four directions (embodiment). The fan may be in contact with the suction port. The sterilization unit 90 does not need to have the active species generation unit 92 as long as it has the irradiation unit 91 .

Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be appreciated that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

1 air conditioner 10 casing 11 suction port 12 outlet 30 fan 60 coarse dust filter 91 irradiation section 95 UVC-LED
97 shielding member (member)
C Ceiling P Passage R Space S1~S4 Four sides

Claims (8)

a casing (10) having an inlet (11) and a plurality of outlets (12);
a fan (30) arranged in the casing (10) for generating an airflow in the casing (10) from the inlet (11) toward the outlet (12);
An irradiation unit (91) arranged in the casing (10) for irradiating ultraviolet rays,
The irradiating part (91) irradiates a space downstream of the suction port (11) and upstream of the fan (30) with ultraviolet rays in the direction of the airflow ,
The suction port (11) is rectangular,
The airflow passage (P) formed on four sides (S1 to S4) is provided from the suction port (11) to the fan (30),
The irradiating part (91) is arranged on a side (S1) of the four sides (S1 to S4) of the passage (P), excluding the four corners, of the four sides of the inlet (11). ,
An air conditioner (1) that irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the interior of the passage (P) . 2. An air conditioner (1) according to claim 1, which is of the ceiling mounted type. 3. The air conditioner (1) according to claim 2, wherein the emission direction of the ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation section (91) is upward from the horizontal in the vertical direction. The irradiation part (91) is located at a position excluding the center of each of the four sides of the suction port (11), or connects both ends of each of the four surfaces (S1 to S4) of the passage (P). The air conditioner (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioner (1) is arranged at a position (Y) excluding the directional center (X). The irradiation section (91)
A first irradiation unit (91A )and,
A second side of the four sides of the suction port (11) that faces the first side, or a side that faces the first side (S1) of the four sides (S1 to S4) of the passage (P) The air conditioner (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising: a second irradiation section (91B) arranged on the second surface (S3). further comprising a filter (60) disposed within the casing (10) and between the suction port (11) and the fan (30) along the direction of the airflow;
The air conditioner ( 1 ). The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a member (97) for regulating the direction of the ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation part (91) toward the suction port (11). 1). The air conditioner (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the irradiation section (91) includes a UVC-LED (95).

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