JP7453077B2 - Air purifier and control method for air purifier - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air cleaning device and a method of controlling the air cleaning device.

BACKGROUND ART In air purifying devices such as deodorizing devices and sterilizing devices that utilize photocatalysts, it is known that the deodorizing and sterilizing functions of the photocatalysts deteriorate when operated for long periods of time. Conventionally, techniques for restoring the function of photocatalysts have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP2009-291398A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-137548

For example, in Patent Document 1, in a photocatalytic device using fluorine-containing titanium oxide as a photocatalytic member, if left for a long time, the fluorine content in the titanium oxide decreases and the activity of the photocatalytic member decreases. In order to do this, a technique has been disclosed in which a photocatalytic member is intermittently irradiated with ultraviolet rays at predetermined time intervals during a shutdown period. However, when the ultraviolet irradiation intensity is the same during normal operation and during intermittent irradiation, the following problem occurs. That is, since the purpose of lighting the light source is different during normal operation and during intermittent irradiation, the optimal ultraviolet irradiation intensity is different in each case. Therefore, if the ultraviolet ray irradiation intensity is excessive compared to the required ultraviolet irradiation intensity, power consumption is wasted, and if the intensity is insufficient, a sufficient effect cannot be obtained.

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that as a means of cleaning a filter whose adsorption effect has been reduced due to saturation of the adsorbent of the filter that adsorbs odor components, a heat source such as a halogen lamp or an incandescent lamp is used in addition to ultraviolet rays for photocatalyst. A technique for heating is disclosed. However, this technique requires halogen lamps, incandescent lamps, and other members necessary for lighting them as heating members, resulting in a complicated structure and an increase in the cost of the entire device. Furthermore, since the heat source consumes a considerable amount of power, the power consumption of the device increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaning device and a control method for the air cleaning device that can efficiently restore the function of a photocatalytic filter.

An air purifying device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a photocatalyst member, a light source that irradiates light to the photocatalyst member, a fan that guides outside air to the photocatalyst member, and an intensity of the light irradiated from the light source. a control unit that controls light intensity and air volume of the fan, the control unit causing the photocatalyst member to be irradiated with the light of a first light intensity from the light source, and driving the fan at a first air volume. a first operation mode in which the air cleaning operation is carried out using the light source; a method of irradiating the photocatalyst member with the light having a second light intensity different from the first light intensity from the light source; A second operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is refreshed by at least one of a method of driving at a second air volume and a second operation mode is switched.

A method of controlling an air purifying device according to another aspect of the present invention is a method of controlling an air purifying device including a photocatalyst member, a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst member with light, and a fan that guides outside air to the photocatalyst member. one or more processors execute a control step of controlling the light intensity that is the intensity of the light emitted from the light source and the air volume of the fan; a first operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is irradiated with light and the fan is driven at a first air volume to perform an air purifying operation; and the light is emitted from the light source at a second light intensity different from the first light intensity. switching between a second operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is refreshed by at least one of a method of irradiating the photocatalyst member and a method of driving the fan at a second air volume different from the first air volume; This is a control method.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently restore the function of a photocatalytic filter.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a graph of a drive signal for driving the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a graph of a drive signal for driving the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a graph of dirt sensor signals in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a graph of dirt sensor signals in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not have the character of limiting the technical scope of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, components having the same functions as those shown in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an air cleaning device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the air cleaning device 1.

The air purifying device 1 is a photocatalyst device, and has a function of, for example, performing indoor air purifying operation. The air purifying device 1 includes a housing 2, an intake port 3, a photocatalyst filter 4, a fan 5, an exhaust port 6, an LED 7, an operation section 8, a human sensor 9, a power supply section 11, a dirt sensor 12, a control section 10, etc. It is set up and configured. The air cleaning device 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

The housing 2 is formed into a rectangular shape. The housing 2 is formed, for example, by injection molding a resin such as plastic. At one end of the housing 2 in the X direction (the left end in FIG. 1), an intake port 3 consisting of a plurality of slits passing through the wall of the housing 2 is provided. Further, an exhaust port 6 consisting of a plurality of slits penetrating the wall surface of the housing 2 is provided at the other end of the housing 2 in the X direction (the right end in FIG. 1). Outside air in the air purifier 1 is taken in through an intake port 3, purified by the air purifier 1, and exhausted from an exhaust port 6.

The photocatalyst filter 4 is a filter that purifies the air (air cleaning) using a photocatalyst. The photocatalyst filter 4 is an example of the photocatalyst member of the present invention. As the photocatalyst, for example, a material based on tungsten oxide is used. The photocatalyst filter 4 is constructed by forming a filter using a base material, such as glass fiber, processed to ensure air permeability, and supporting a photocatalyst on the filter. The supporting method may be, for example, a method of directly coating the filter base material, or a method of coating a mixture of a binder or the like as a fixing material.

Specifically, when the photocatalytic filter 4 is activated by being irradiated with light having a specific wavelength, it has the function of oxidizing and decomposing odor components, bacteria, viruses, etc. in the air near the photocatalytic filter 4. have This function makes it possible to purify indoor air.

The fan 5 is a blower fan for feeding indoor air into the air purifier 1 (inside the housing 2) through the intake port 3 and discharging the air purified by the photocatalytic filter 4 into the room from the exhaust port 6. . As the fan 5, a box fan, a sirocco fan, a cross flow fan, etc. are generally used. The fan 5 is driven by a fan driver 51. The fan driver 51 is a drive unit that applies drive power to the fan 5 to drive the fan 5, and is configured of elements that apply voltage and current to the fan 5.

The LED 7 is a light source having a specific wavelength that activates the photocatalyst filter 4. In this embodiment, for example, a light source having a wavelength of approximately 450 nm can be used as the LED 7 for a tungsten oxide based photocatalyst. Such LEDs have recently been commonly used in LED lighting, etc., and can be obtained at low cost. The LED 7 is driven by an LED driver 71. The LED driver 71 is a drive unit that applies driving power to the LED 7 to cause the LED 7 to emit light, and is constituted by elements that apply voltage and current to the LED 7.

The operation unit 8 is a switch for a user to select an operation mode of the air purifier 1 and a switch for stopping the operation. Operation information for the operation unit 8 is input to the control unit 10 . In this embodiment, the normal operation mode in which the air purifying operation is performed is referred to as "operation mode 1" (corresponding to the first operation mode of the present invention), and the refresh operation mode in which the photocatalyst filter 4 is refreshed is referred to as "operation mode 2". (corresponding to the second operation mode of the present invention).

The human sensor 9 detects whether there is a person within a certain range around the air purifying device 1. The human sensor 9 is composed of, for example, an infrared sensor or a camera. Detection information from the human sensor 9 is input to the control section 10 . Note that in the air purifying device 1 according to the first embodiment, the human sensor 9 may be omitted.

The dirt sensor 12 is a sensor that detects the degree of dirt on the photocatalyst filter 4 . The dirt sensor 12 includes, for example, an infrared sensor, a camera, and the like. Detection information from the dirt sensor 12 is input to the control section 10 . Note that in the air purifying device 1 according to the first embodiment, the dirt sensor 12 may be omitted.

The power supply unit 11 is a part that provides power for the entire air purifier 1 . The power supply unit 11 generates voltages and currents necessary for each part of the air purifier 1 from, for example, a power source of a household outlet.

The control unit 10 includes processing units such as a reception processing unit 101, a drive processing unit 102, a switching processing unit 103, and a measurement unit 104. Note that in the air purifying device 1 according to the first embodiment, the measuring section 104 may be omitted.

The reception processing unit 101 receives operation information from the operation unit 8. For example, when the user performs an operation to select driving mode 1 on the operation unit 8, the reception processing unit 101 receives the operation information. Further, for example, when the user performs an operation to select driving mode 2 on the operation unit 8, the reception processing unit 101 receives the operation information. Further, for example, when the user performs an operation to stop the operation of the air purifier 1 on the operation unit 8, the reception processing unit 101 receives the operation information.

The drive processing unit 102 controls the drive of the air purifying device 1 based on the operation information received by the reception processing unit 101. Specifically, the drive processing unit 102 generates a drive signal according to the operation mode 1 based on the operation information of the operation for selecting the operation mode 1, and outputs it to the LED driver 71 and the fan driver 51. Further, the drive processing unit 102 generates a drive signal according to the operation mode 2 based on the operation information of the operation for selecting the operation mode 2, and outputs it to the LED driver 71 and the fan driver 51.

3A and 3B are graphs showing an example of the drive signal. The drive signal shown in FIG. 3A is a pulse signal with a cycle of T and a duty ratio of 80%. That is, the ON time t80 of the pulse signal is 80% of the period T. Similarly, the drive signal shown in FIG. 3B is a pulse signal with a period of T and a duty ratio of 40%. That is, the ON time t40 of the pulse signal is 40% of the period T.

When the operation mode is operation mode 1, the drive processing unit 102 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51, for example. do.

On the other hand, when the operation mode is operation mode 2, the drive processing unit 102 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the fan driver 51. Output to.

These duty ratios may be determined according to the specifications of the air purifying device 1.

The LED driver 71 and the fan driver 51 receive the drive signal (pulse signal) output from the drive processing unit 102, and supply power to the LED 7 and fan 5, for example, during the ON period of the pulse signal. That is, the larger the duty ratio of the pulse signal, the more power is supplied. Therefore, the light intensity (light amount) of the LED 7 and the air volume of the fan 5 can be controlled by the duty ratio of the pulse signal.

The switching processing unit 103 switches between an operation mode 1 that performs an air cleaning operation and an operation mode 2 that performs a refresh operation. For example, the switching processing unit 103 switches between driving mode 1 and driving mode 2 according to a user's operation. For example, when the user selects driving mode 2 (refresh driving mode) during normal driving in driving mode 1, the switching processing unit 103 changes the driving mode from driving mode 1 based on the operation information received by the reception processing unit 101. Switch to driving mode 2. In this embodiment, in the case of operation mode 2, the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 (corresponding to the second light intensity of the present invention) is set to the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 (corresponding to the first light intensity of the present invention) in the case of the operation mode 1. ), or the air volume a1 of the fan 5 (corresponding to the first air volume of the present invention) when the air volume a2 of the fan 5 (corresponding to the second air volume of the present invention) is operation mode 1. The air volume is set to a different value than the

Here, a driving method during refresh driving in driving mode 2 will be explained.

In order to purify air with the photocatalytic filter 4 in operation mode 1, which is normal operation, it is necessary to introduce light into the photocatalytic filter 4 from the LED 7 while introducing outside air into the air purifying device 1 using the fan 5. This allows the photocatalytic filter 4 to purify the surrounding air. On the other hand, if such operation continues, the photocatalyst filter 4 will deteriorate. Reasons for this include that residual substances left after oxidative decomposition during purification adhere to the photocatalyst filter 4, and that dust contained in the surrounding air adheres to the photocatalyst filter 4. As this accumulates over the operating time, the oxidative decomposition power of the photocatalytic filter 4 decreases. A refresh operation is performed in order to recover the oxidative decomposition power as much as possible from the state where the oxidative decomposition power has decreased.

To refresh the photocatalytic filter 4, there is a method of decomposing residual substances by irradiating it with light. That is, in the refresh operation (operation mode 2), the control unit 10 refreshes the photocatalyst filter 4 by irradiating the photocatalyst filter 4 with light from the light source (LED 7) having a light intensity p2 different from the light intensity p1 during the normal operation (operation mode 1). Drive. In this case, the control unit 10 may maintain the air volume of the fan 5 constant during normal operation (operation mode 1) and refresh operation (operation mode 2), or may maintain the air volume of the fan 5 constant during normal operation (operation mode 1). It may be changed between the refresh operation (operation mode 2) and the refresh operation (operation mode 2).

For example, in the refresh operation (operation mode 2), the control unit 10 irradiates the photocatalyst filter 4 with light having a light intensity p2 stronger than the light intensity p1 from the LED 7. When setting the light intensity p2 of the photocatalyst light source (LED7) during refresh operation (operation mode 2) to a stronger light intensity than the light intensity p1 during normal operation (operation mode 1) (p2>p1), the light intensity The stronger it is, the higher the refreshment effect can be obtained. On the other hand, if strong light is applied even during normal operation, a problem arises in that the power consumption of the air purifier 1 during normal operation increases. Therefore, by making the light intensity of the LED 7 stronger than the light intensity during normal operation during refresh operation, it is possible to obtain a refresh effect and prevent an increase in power consumption. In the above configuration, for example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51 for refreshment. During operation, a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the fan driver 51.

Further, the control unit 10 may irradiate the photocatalyst filter 4 with light having a light intensity p2 weaker than the light intensity p1 from the LED 7 in the refresh operation (operation mode 2). When the light intensity p2 of the photocatalyst light source (LED 7) is set to be weaker than the light intensity p1 during normal operation (operation mode 1) during refresh operation (operation mode 2) (p2<p1), A refreshing effect can be obtained compared to the case where the LED 7 is turned off during refresh operation. Further, in this case, the light intensity p2 during the refresh operation is made weaker than the light intensity p1 during the normal operation, so the power consumption of the air purifying device 1 during the refresh operation can be reduced, and the photocatalyst The heat generated by the light source (LED 7) can be suppressed. In an environment where power consumption and high temperature of the air purifying device 1 are a problem, the above configuration allows the photocatalytic filter 4 to be refreshed while lowering the ambient temperature. In the above configuration, for example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51, thereby refreshing the LED driver 71. During operation, a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the fan driver 51.

Another method for refreshing the photocatalyst filter 4 is to irradiate the photocatalyst filter 4 with light while switching the air volume of the fan 5 in a refresh operation (operation mode 2). That is, the control unit 10 sets the air volume of the fan 5 in the refresh operation (operation mode 2) to an air volume a2 different from the air volume a1 in the normal operation (operation mode 1). In this case, the control unit 10 may maintain the light intensity of the LED 7 constant during normal operation (operation mode 1) and refresh operation (operation mode 2), or may maintain the light intensity of the LED 7 constant during normal operation (operation mode 1). It may be changed between the refresh operation (operation mode 2) and the refresh operation (operation mode 2).

For example, the control unit 10 sets the air volume of the fan 5 to an air volume a2 smaller than the air volume a1 during the normal operation (operation mode 1) in the refresh operation (operation mode 2). If the air volume a2 of the fan 5 during the refresh operation is set lower than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 during the normal operation (a2<a1), it becomes difficult to supply outside air, so the amount of oxidation and decomposition by the outside air is suppressed, and during the refresh operation. This is effective because deterioration of the photocatalyst filter 4 can be suppressed. Therefore, in operation mode 2, it is conceivable to set the air volume of fan 5 to be smaller than in operation mode 1, or to stop driving fan 5. In the above configuration, for example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51 for refreshment. During operation, a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the fan driver 51.

Further, the control unit 10 may set the air volume of the fan 5 to a larger air volume a2 than the air volume a1 during the normal operation (operation mode 1) in the refresh operation (operation mode 2). When the air volume a2 of the fan 5 is made larger than the air volume a1 during normal operation during refresh operation (operation mode 2) (a2>a1), dust etc. attached to the photocatalyst filter 4 can be removed by blowing away. The photocatalyst filter 4 can be refreshed. In particular, in the refresh operation (operation mode 2), dust and the like that could not be removed with the air volume a1 of the normal operation (operation mode 1) can be removed with a stronger air volume. In this case, for example, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71 during normal operation, outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the fan driver 51, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the fan driver 51 during refresh operation. , outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51.

As described above, the air purifying device 1 has a method of irradiating the photocatalyst filter 4 with light having a light intensity p2 different from the light intensity p1 during the normal operation (operation mode 1) from the LED 7 during the refresh operation (operation mode 2). (first refreshing method) or a method (second refreshing method) of driving the fan 5 with an air volume a2 different from the air volume a1 during normal operation (operation mode 1), the photocatalyst filter 4 can be refreshed.

Furthermore, the air purifying device 1 may perform a refresh operation (operation mode 2) by combining the first refresh method and the second refresh method. For example, the air purifier 1 sets the light intensity p2 of the LED in the case of operation mode 2 to be stronger than the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 in the case of operation mode 1, and the air volume of the fan 5 in the case of operation mode 2. a2 is set to be smaller than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 in the case of operation mode 1. A specific example of the operation of this configuration will be described below.

When the user performs an operation to stop the operation of the air purifier 1 during operation in operation mode 1 or operation mode 2, the drive processing unit 102 stops driving the LED 7 and the fan 5. For example, the drive processing unit 102 stops outputting the pulse signal. As a result, the operation of the air purifier 1 is stopped.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the air cleaning process.

Hereinafter, the air cleaning process executed in the air cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Specifically, in this embodiment, the air cleaning process is executed by the control unit 10 of the air cleaning device 1.

Note that the present invention can be regarded as an invention of a method for controlling the air cleaning device 1 that executes one or more steps included in the air cleaning process. Furthermore, one or more steps included in the air cleaning process described here may be omitted as appropriate. Note that the steps in the air cleaning process may be executed in a different order as long as similar effects are produced. Furthermore, although the case where each step in the air cleaning process is executed by the control unit 10 will be described as an example, a control method in which each step in the air cleaning process is executed in a distributed manner by a plurality of processors is also possible. Other embodiments are possible.

First, in step S11, when the user turns on the power of the air purifier 1, power is supplied to each part of the air purifier 1 via the power supply section 11, and the air purifier 1 enters a standby state (Fig. 5 OFF period).

Next, in step S12, the control unit 10 determines whether operation information for starting driving has been received from the operation unit 8 that accepts user operations. When the control unit 10 receives operation information for starting operation (S12: YES), the process moves to step S13. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 does not receive operation information for starting operation (S12: NO), the process returns to step S11 and maintains the standby state.

In step S13, the control unit 10 determines whether the driving mode corresponding to the operation information is driving mode 1 or driving mode 2. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the user has selected the driving mode 1 or the driving mode 2.

For example, if the user selects driving mode 1, the process moves to step S14, and the control unit 10 starts driving in driving mode 1 (t0 in FIG. 5). Specifically, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% (see FIG. 3B) to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% (see FIG. 3A) to the fan driver 51. Output. As a result, the light intensity of the LED 7 is driven at "p1", and the air volume of the fan 5 is driven at "a1" (see t0 in FIG. 5).

After that, in step S16, the control unit 10 determines whether or not operational information for stopping the operation has been received from the operation unit 8. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the user has stopped the operation. If the operation is not stopped (S16: NO), the process returns to step S13, and the control unit 10 repeats the operation mode determination process.

Here, for example, if the user selects driving mode 2 (S13), the process moves to step S15, and the control unit 10 switches the driving mode from driving mode 1 to driving mode 2 (t1 in FIG. 5). Thereby, the control unit 10 starts the refresh operation. Specifically, the control unit 10 outputs, for example, a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% (see FIG. 3A) to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% (see FIG. 3B) to the fan driver 51. Output. As a result, the light intensity of the LED 7 is driven at "p2" (p2>p1), and the air volume of the fan 5 is driven at "a2" (a2<a1) (see t1 in FIG. 5). After that, the process moves to step S16. In this way, the control unit 10 controls the air volume of the fan 5 such that the air volume of the fan 5 in the second operation mode is smaller than the air volume of the fan 5 in the first operation mode. Steps S14 and S15 are examples of control steps of the present invention.

In step S16, when the control unit 10 receives operation information for stopping the operation from the operation unit 8 (S16: YES), the control unit 10 stops the operation. For example, the control unit 10 stops outputting the pulse signal (see t2 in FIG. 5). When the operation is stopped, the process returns to step S11 and enters the standby state again. Note that when the user performs an operation to turn off the power of the air purifying device 1, the control unit 10 cuts off the power supply and turns off the air purifying device 1.

As described above, the control unit 10 executes the air cleaning process while switching between the operation mode 1 and the operation mode 2 according to the user's operation.

As described above, the air purifying device 1 according to the first embodiment controls the light intensity of the photocatalyst light source (LED 7) to be different from that during normal operation when refreshing the photocatalyst from deterioration. In addition, the air purifying device 1 controls the amount of air sent into the air purifying device 1 during normal operation to a different amount from that during normal operation, or stops blowing the air. Thereby, power consumption can be suppressed while obtaining a sufficient refreshing effect for the air purifying device 1 as a whole. Furthermore, since the photocatalytic light source (LED) used during normal operation is also used during refresh, members and costs for refresh are not required. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently restore the function of the photocatalyst filter 4.

As another embodiment, the control unit 10 sets the light intensity p2 of the LED in the case of the operation mode 2 to be lower than the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 in the case of the operation mode 1, and The air volume a2 of fan 5 may be set to be larger than the air volume a1 of fan 5 in operation mode 1. For example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the fan driver 51, and during refresh operation, the duty ratio is A pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the fan driver 51. According to this configuration, during the refresh operation, dust and the like attached to the photocatalyst filter 4 can be removed by being blown away, so that the photocatalyst filter 4 can be refreshed. Further, the power consumption of the air purifying device 1 during refresh operation can be reduced, and the heat generated by the photocatalyst light source (LED 7) can be suppressed.

Further, as another embodiment, the control unit 10 sets the light intensity p2 of the LED in the case of the operation mode 2 to be weaker than the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 in the case of the operation mode 1, and in the case of the operation mode 2 The air volume a2 of the fan 5 may be set to be smaller than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 in the case of operation mode 1. For example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% to the fan driver 51, and during refresh operation, the duty ratio A pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% is output to the fan driver 51. According to this configuration, the photocatalyst filter 4 can be refreshed while suppressing the power consumption of the air purifier 1 during refresh operation.

In another embodiment, the control unit 10 sets the light intensity p2 of the LED in the driving mode 2 to be stronger than the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 in the driving mode 1, and The air volume a2 of the fan 5 may be set to be larger than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 in the case of operation mode 1. For example, during normal operation, the control unit 10 outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the LED driver 71, and outputs a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 40% to the fan driver 51, and during refresh operation, the duty ratio is A pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the LED driver 71, and a pulse signal with a duty ratio of 80% is output to the fan driver 51. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain a refreshing effect due to the light from the LED 7 and a refreshing effect due to the removal of dust and the like using the air volume of the fan 5.

To set the air volume a2 of the fan 5 to be larger than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 during normal operation (operation mode 1) during refresh operation (operation mode 2), set the air volume of fan 5 to "a1>a2" and refresh. It may be combined before and after driving (driving mode 2). In this case, the decomposition of residual substances adhering to the photocatalytic filter 4 and the removal of dust etc. can be performed at the same time.

Furthermore, in the air purifying device 1 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 sets the air volume of the fan 5 to be smaller than the first air volume a1 of the fan 5 during the refresh operation (operation mode 2) than the first air volume a1 of the fan 5 during the normal operation (operation mode 1). The operation is performed with the second air volume a2 set to decompose the residual substances attached to the photocatalyst filter 4, and then the air volume of the fan 5 is set to the third air volume a3, which is higher than the second air volume a2, and the dust etc. Perform the removal of. In addition, the control unit 10 operates by setting the air volume of the fan 5 to a third air volume a3 that is larger than the first air volume a1 of the fan 5 during the normal operation (operation mode 1) in the refresh operation (operation mode 2), After removing dust and the like, the fan 5 is operated with the air volume set to a second air volume a2 smaller than the third air volume a3 to decompose the residual substances attached to the photocatalyst filter 4. That is, the control unit 10 may change the air volume of the fan 5 in the operation mode 2.

Further, the control unit 10 may change the light intensity of the LED 7 and the air volume of the fan 5 in the operation mode 2. For example, in operation mode 2, the control unit 10 decreases the air volume of the fan 5 when increasing the light intensity of the LED 7, and increases the air volume of the fan 5 when decreasing the light intensity of the LED 7. For example, in operation mode 2, the control unit 10 increases the air volume of the fan 5 when increasing the light intensity of the LED 7, and decreases the air volume of the fan 5 when decreasing the light intensity of the LED 7. Good too. The control unit 10 sets the light intensity and air volume depending on the degree of refreshing of the photocatalyst filter 4, for example. Thereby, the refreshing effect of the photocatalyst filter 4 can be enhanced.

Hereinafter, an air purifying device 1 according to another embodiment will be described. In addition, in each embodiment shown below, the description which overlaps with the description of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 is abbreviate|omitted suitably.

[Embodiment 2]
The air purifying device 1 according to the second embodiment further includes a measuring section 104 (see FIG. 2). The measurement unit 104 measures the driving time in driving mode 1 from the time when the user selects normal driving. The measurement unit 104 is composed of, for example, a timer. The measurement unit 104 starts measurement at the timing when the driving mode 1 is selected.

The switching processing unit 103 determines whether the driving time (measured time) in driving mode 1 has reached a preset time Tth1. When the cumulative total of the driving time in driving mode 1 reaches the set time Tth1, the switching processing unit 103 switches the driving mode to driving mode 2 and starts refresh driving.

In this way, the control unit 10 starts measuring the driving time in the driving mode 1 when the driving in the driving mode 1 starts, and when the measured driving time reaches the preset time Tth1, the control unit 10 starts the driving time in the driving mode 1. Switch mode 1 to driving mode 2. Thereby, even if the user forgets to perform an operation to switch to refresh operation, the photocatalyst filter 4 can be automatically refreshed periodically.

Furthermore, the measurement unit 104 may further measure the driving time of the refresh driving (driving mode 2). In this case, for example, when the measured time reaches a preset time Tth2, the control unit 10 stops the refresh operation, switches the operation mode to operation mode 1, and performs normal operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the air cleaning process.

First, in step S21, when the user turns on the power of the air purifier 1, power is supplied to each part of the air purifier 1 via the power supply section 11, and the air purifier 1 enters a standby state (Fig. 7 OFF period).

Next, in step S22, the control unit 10 determines whether operation information for starting driving has been received from the operation unit 8 that accepts user operations. When the control unit 10 receives operation information for starting operation (S22: YES), the process moves to step S23. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 does not receive operation information for starting operation (S22: NO), the process returns to step S21 and maintains the standby state.

In step S23, the control unit 10 starts operation in operation mode 1 (t0 in FIG. 7). For example, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 outputs the pulse signals shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B to the LED driver 71 and the fan driver 51, drives the light intensity of the LED 7 at "p1", and drives the fan 5. The air volume is set to "a1" (see t0 in FIG. 7). When the control unit 10 starts driving in the driving mode 1, it starts measuring the driving time in the driving mode 1 (S24).

Next, in step S25, the control unit 10 determines whether operation information for stopping the operation has been received from the operation unit 8. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the user has stopped the operation. If the operation is not stopped (S25: NO), the process moves to step S26. When the control unit 10 receives operation information for stopping the operation from the operation unit 8 (S25: YES), the process proceeds to step S30, and the control unit 10 stops the operation of the air purifying device 1.

Next, in step S26, the control unit 10 determines whether the measured time has exceeded the set time Tth1. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the driving time in driving mode 1 has reached the set time Tth1. When the measurement time has passed the set time Tth1 (S26: YES), the process moves to step S27. If the control unit 10 receives operational information for stopping the operation from the operation unit 8 before the measurement time exceeds the set time Tth1 (S25: YES), the process proceeds to step S30, and the control unit 10 controls the air purifier 1. stop operation.

In step S27, the control unit 10 switches the driving mode from driving mode 1 to driving mode 2 (t1 in FIG. 7). For example, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 outputs the pulse signals shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B to the LED driver 71 and the fan driver 51, and adjusts the light intensity of the LED 7 to "p2" (p2>p1). The air volume of the fan 5 is set to "a2" (a2<a1) (see t1 in FIG. 7). When the control unit 10 starts driving in the driving mode 2, it starts measuring the driving time in the driving mode 2 (S28). Steps S23 and S27 are examples of control steps of the present invention.

Next, in step S29, the control unit 10 determines whether the measured time has exceeded the set time Tth2. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the driving time in the driving mode 2 has reached the set time Tth2. When the measurement time has passed the set time Tth2 (S29: YES), the process returns to step S23, and the control unit 10 switches the driving mode from driving mode 2 to driving mode 1, and sets the light intensity of the LED 7 to "p1". and the air volume of the fan 5 is set to "a1" (see t2 in FIG. 7). After that, when the control unit 10 receives operation information for stopping the operation from the operation unit 8 (S25: YES), the process proceeds to step S30, and the control unit 10 stops the operation of the air purifying device 1 (FIG. 7 (See t3).

As described above, the control unit 10 executes the air cleaning process while switching between the operation mode 1 and the operation mode 2 based on the set times Tth1 and Tth2.

[Embodiment 3]
Regarding the control method of the fan 5 in the refresh operation (operation mode 2), the air purifier 1 may execute another control method.

Although it has already been mentioned that a higher refreshing effect can be obtained when the air volume of the fan 5 in operation mode 2 is smaller than that in operation mode 1 (normal operation), it is also possible to stop the fan 5. However, in this case, since outside air is not supplied, deterioration of the photocatalyst filter 4 due to odor components etc. can be suppressed, but if the fan 5 is stopped during the entire period of refresh operation, the components oxidized and decomposed for refresh will be removed from the place. Instead of separating, the particles adsorb onto the photocatalyst filter 4 and remain on the surface of the filter. Therefore, the refreshing effect of the photocatalyst filter 4 may be reduced due to the components adsorbed on the photocatalyst filter 4.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the air purifying device 1 according to the third embodiment is configured to drive the fan 5 intermittently during the refresh period. Specifically, in operation mode 2, the control unit 10 performs intermittent drive in which a period in which the fan 5 is driven and a period in which the fan 5 is not driven are repeated. Thereby, components oxidized and decomposed by the refresh operation of the photocatalytic filter 4 are discharged to the outside from the air purifying device 1 during the period when the fan 5 is driven. Therefore, the effect of refreshing the photocatalyst filter 4 can be improved more than when the fan 5 is completely stopped.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the control unit 10 switches the operation mode from operation mode 1 to operation mode 2, the control unit 10 drives the LED driver 71 to drive the light intensity of the LED 7 at "p2", and adjusts the air volume of the fan 5. The fan driver 51 is intermittently driven to drive at "a2" (t1 to t2 in FIG. 8).

In the air purifying device 1 according to the third embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the operation in which the air volume of the fan 5 is set to "a2" and the air volume of the fan 5 is set to "a2" in the refresh operation (operation mode 2). It is also possible to perform a drive that repeats an operation in which the air volume is set to a smaller air volume "a23" (however, a23<a2).

[Embodiment 4]
When the user performs a stop operation during normal operation, the air purifier 1 according to the fourth embodiment performs a refresh operation for a predetermined period of time, and then stops the operation of the air purifier 1 and turns off the power.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the air cleaning process.

For example, when the user selects driving mode 1 (S43) and performs a stop operation while driving in driving mode 1 (S45: YES), in step S46, the control unit 10 changes the driving mode from driving mode 1 to Switch to operation mode 2 (t1 in FIG. 10). When the control unit 10 starts driving in the driving mode 2, it starts measuring the driving time in the driving mode 2 (S47).

Next, in step S48, the control unit 10 determines whether the measured time has exceeded the set time Tth3 (predetermined time of the present invention). That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the driving time in the driving mode 2 has reached the set time Tth3. When the measurement time has passed the set time Tth3 (S48: YES), the process moves to step S49, and the control unit 10 stops the operation (t2 in FIG. 10).

When the user selects driving mode 2, that is, for example, when switching the driving mode from driving mode 1 to driving mode 2 (S43), the control unit 10 changes the driving time in driving mode 2 (S51) to set time Tth3. The operation is stopped (S49) when it reaches (S52: YES). Steps S43, S46, and S50 are examples of control steps of the present invention.

[Embodiment 5]
The air purifying device 1 according to the fifth embodiment is configured to control the operation mode based on whether or not there is a person around the air purifying device 1 or in the room in which the air purifying device 1 is installed.

For example, when the human sensor 9 (infrared sensor, camera, etc.) (see FIG. 1) provided in the air purifier 1 detects a person, the control unit 10 starts normal operation (operation mode 1) and Start air purification operation to purify the air. Further, when the sensor no longer detects a person during normal operation, the control unit 10 switches to refresh operation (operation mode 2) and stops operation after the set time Tth4 has elapsed. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption by stopping operation when someone is absent.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of air cleaning processing performed in the air cleaning device 1 according to the fifth embodiment.

For example, when the human sensor 9 detects a person in the room where the air purifier 1 is installed (S62: YES), in step S63, the control unit 10 sets the operation mode to operation mode 1 and performs normal operation. Start. After that, the human sensor 9 monitors whether there is a person in the room (S64). While there is a person in the room (S64: YES), the control unit 10 continues normal operation.

After that, when there is no longer a person in the room (S64: NO), the control unit 10 switches the driving mode from driving mode 1 to driving mode 2 (S65). When the control unit 10 starts driving in driving mode 2, it starts measuring time (S66). Steps S63 and S65 are examples of control steps of the present invention.

Next, in step S67, the control unit 10 determines whether the measured time has exceeded the set time Tth4. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether the driving time in driving mode 2 has reached the set time Tth4. If the measured time has exceeded the set time Tth4 (S67: YES), the process moves to step S68, and the control unit 10 stops the operation of the air purifier 1.

In the air purifying device 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the control unit 10 may set the light intensity of the LED 7 according to the detection result of the human sensor 9. For example, the control unit 10 sets the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 to be weak (“p1”) when the human sensor 9 detects a person indoors, and sets the light intensity p1 of the LED 7 weakly (“p1”) when the human sensor 9 no longer detects a person indoors. The light intensity p2 of the LED 7 is set to be strong (“p2”).

[Embodiment 6]
The air purifying device 1 according to the sixth embodiment is configured to control the operation mode based on the output (detection result) of the dirt sensor 12 that detects the degree of dirt on the photocatalyst filter 4 of the air purifying device 1.

For example, when a reflective infrared sensor is used as the dirt sensor 12, the dirt sensor 12 irradiates the photocatalyst filter 4 with infrared light and measures the level of reflected light received from the photocatalyst filter 4 (reflected light level). It can be output. When the photocatalytic filter 4 is made of a white or light-colored material, when the filter surface of the photocatalytic filter 4 becomes dirty, the reflected light level of the dirt sensor 12 decreases, and the sensor output decreases.

FIG. 13 shows the relationship between the output of the dirt sensor 12 installed on the photocatalyst filter 4 and the dirt on the photocatalyst filter 4. In FIG. 13, it is assumed that the output of the dirt sensor 12 is "Sth" when the degree of dirt (corresponding to the predetermined amount of the present invention) of the photocatalyst filter 4 that requires refreshing is "Yth". In other words, if the output of the dirt sensor 12 is less than or equal to Sth, refreshing is required.

An example of controlling the air purifying device 1 using this dirt sensor 12 will be explained using FIG. 12. After turning on the power of the air purifying device 1 and setting it in a standby state (S71), an operation start operation is performed (S72: YES). Then, the air purifier 1 is operated in operation mode 1 (S73). The control unit 10 monitors the output of the dirt sensor 12 in this state (S74). If the output of the dirt sensor 12 during operation in operation mode 1 is greater than Sth, operation in operation mode 1 is continued (S74: NO). When the output of the dirt sensor 12 during operation in operation mode 1 becomes equal to or less than Sth, refreshing is required, and the operation mode shifts to operation mode 2 (S74: YES). The control unit 10 monitors the output of the dirt sensor 12 in this state (S76). When the refresh operation causes the output of the dirt sensor 12 operating in operation mode 2 to become larger than Sth, it is assumed that dirt has been removed (S76: NO). Then, operation in operation mode 1 is performed until the user performs an operation to stop the operation of the air purifier 1 (S77). When the user performs an operation to stop the operation of the air purifier 1, the operation of the air purifier 1 is stopped (S78: YES). Steps S73 and S75 are examples of control steps of the present invention.

[Embodiment 7]
Next, another embodiment using the dirt sensor 12 will be described. FIG. 14 shows the relationship between the output of the dirt sensor 12 installed on the photocatalyst filter 4 and the dirt on the photocatalyst filter 4. In FIG. 14, the output of the dirt sensor 12 when the degree of dirt is relatively small is set as "Sth1", and the output of the dirt sensor 12 when the degree of dirt is relatively large is set as "Sth2". FIG. 15 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the air cleaning process executed in the air cleaning device 1 according to the seventh embodiment.

If the output of the dirt sensor 12 satisfies Sth2≦S<Sth1 while the air purifying device 1 is operating in the operating mode 1, the mode shifts to the operating mode 2-1 (see FIG. 15). The operation mode 2-1 is a driving state in which, for example, the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 is stronger than the light intensity p1 of the operation mode 1, and the air volume a2 of the fan 5 is smaller than the air volume a1 of the fan 5 in the operation mode 1. This operation executes a refresh operation, but if the environment around the air purifier 1 is very dirty, the refresh cannot catch up and the output of the dirt sensor 12 continues to decrease, and the output of the dirt sensor 12 becomes S<Sth2 It is possible that this situation will occur. In this case, the mode shifts to operation mode 2-2 (see FIG. 15). Operation mode 2-2 is a driving state in which the light intensity p3 of the LED 7 is stronger than the light intensity p2, and the air volume a3 of the fan 5 is weaker than the air volume a2. Alternatively, the light intensity p3 of the LED 7 may be set to the maximum intensity that can be obtained by the air purifying device 1, and the setting may be made so that the maximum refreshing effect can be obtained by turning off the air volume. With this configuration, in a normal environment, a refresh operation can be performed with low power consumption in operation mode 2-1, and in a poor environment, a stronger refresh operation can be performed in operation mode 2-2.

Another method of controlling the air purifying device 1 when the outputs Sth1 and Sth2 of the dirt sensor 12 are set (see FIG. 14) will be described. For example, in the air cleaning process shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 10 detects the output of the dirt sensor 12 when the set time Tth1 has elapsed and the operation mode 2 is entered, and the detected value at that time is Sth2≦S<Sth1. The set time Tth2, which is the driving time in the driving mode 2, is changed depending on whether S<Sth2 or S<Sth2. That is, the control unit 10 sets the operation time of operation mode 2 to Tth2-1 when the output of the dirt sensor 12 is Sth2≦S<Sth1, and sets the operation time of the operation mode 2 to Tth2-1 when the output of the dirt sensor 12 is S<Sth2. Set the operating time in mode 2 to set time Tth2-2. However, Tth2-1<Tth2-2. Thereby, when the degree of contamination is small, the refresh time can be completed in a short time, and when the degree of contamination is high, the refresh time can be lengthened.

As described above, the air purifying device 1 has a method of irradiating the photocatalyst filter 4 with light having a light intensity p2 different from the light intensity p1 during the normal operation (operation mode 1) from the LED 7 during the refresh operation (operation mode 2). The photocatalytic filter 4 is refreshed by at least one of the following methods (first refresh method) and a method of driving the fan 5 at an air volume a2 different from the air volume a1 during normal operation (operation mode 1) (second refresh method). Drive. The present invention is not limited to any one of Embodiments 1 to 7 described above, and may be an embodiment in which at least two of Embodiments 1 to 7 are combined.

In another embodiment, the control unit 10 may set the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 during the refresh operation (operation mode 2) according to the operation time of the normal operation (operation mode 1). For example, the control unit 10 sets the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 in the refresh operation (operation mode 2) to be stronger as the operation time of the normal operation (operation mode 1) is longer, and the longer the operation time of the normal operation (operation mode 1), the stronger the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 is set. The shorter the time, the weaker the light intensity p2 of the LED 7 in the refresh operation (operation mode 2) is set. Thereby, it is possible to reliably recover from a decline in photocatalyst function due to long-term operation.

In another embodiment, the control unit 10 may set the driving time for the refresh operation (driving mode 2) according to the driving time for the normal driving (driving mode 1). For example, the control unit 10 sets the longer the driving time of the normal operation (driving mode 1), the longer the driving time of the refresh driving (driving mode 2), and the shorter the driving time of the normal driving (driving mode 1), the longer the driving time of the refresh driving (driving mode 2). Set the refresh operation (operation mode 2) operation time to be shorter. Thereby, it is possible to reliably recover from a decline in photocatalyst function due to long-term operation.

The air purifying device of the present invention may be obtained by freely combining the embodiments shown above, or by appropriately modifying or omitting a portion of each embodiment, within the scope of the invention described in each claim. It is also possible to configure it by

1: Air purifier 3: Intake port 4: Photocatalyst filter 5: Fan 6: Exhaust port 7: LED
8: Operation section 9: Human sensor 10: Control section 11: Power supply section 12: Dirt sensor 51: Fan driver 71: LED driver 101: Reception processing section 102: Drive processing section 103: Switching processing section 104: Measurement section

Claims (13)

A photocatalyst member,
a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst member with light;
a fan that guides outside air to the photocatalyst member;
a control unit that controls a light intensity that is the intensity of the light emitted from the light source and an air volume of the fan;
Equipped with
The control unit is configured to set a first operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is irradiated with the light having a first light intensity from the light source and the fan is driven at a first air volume to perform an air purifying operation; the light with a second light intensity stronger than the first light intensity from the light source while driving the fan with a third air volume that is higher than the first air volume, and then driving the fan with a second air volume that is smaller than the first air volume; An air purifying device that switches between a second operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is refreshed by irradiating the photocatalyst member with a second operating mode. The control unit switches between the first operation mode and the second operation mode according to a user's operation.
The air cleaning device according to claim 1 . The control unit starts measuring the driving time in the first driving mode when driving in the first driving mode is started, and when the measured driving time reaches a preset setting time, the control unit starts measuring the driving time in the first driving mode. switching the first operation mode to the second operation mode;
The air cleaning device according to claim 1 or claim 2 . The control unit performs intermittent drive in the second operation mode, repeating a period in which the fan is driven and a period in which the fan is not driven.
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . When the control unit receives an operation from a user to stop the air purifying device while operating in the first operating mode, the control unit operates the air purifying device in the second operating mode for a predetermined period of time and then stops the air purifying device. let,
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . Furthermore, it is equipped with a human sensor that detects people.
The control unit operates the air purifying device in the first operation mode when the human sensor detects a person, and when the human sensor no longer detects a person while operating in the first operating mode. switching the first operation mode to the second operation mode if
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The control unit sets the light intensity according to the detection result of the human sensor.
The air cleaning device according to claim 6 . The control unit sets the light intensity in the second operation mode to be stronger as the operation time in the first operation mode is longer.
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The control unit sets a longer operating time in the second operating mode as the operating time in the first operating mode is longer.
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . Further comprising a dirt sensor that detects the degree of dirt on the photocatalyst member,
The control unit operates the air purifying device in the second operation mode when the dirt sensor detects a predetermined amount of dirt on the photocatalyst member.
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 . The control unit sets the light intensity or the operation time of the second operation mode based on the detection result of the dirt sensor.
The air cleaning device according to claim 10 . the photocatalytic member comprises a tungsten oxide based material;
The air cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . A method of controlling an air purifying device comprising a photocatalyst member, a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst member with light, and a fan that guides outside air to the photocatalyst member, the method comprising:
One or more processors execute a control step of controlling the light intensity that is the intensity of the light emitted from the light source and the air volume of the fan,
The control step includes a first operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is irradiated with the light having a first light intensity from the light source and the fan is driven at a first air volume to perform an air purifying operation; the light with a second light intensity stronger than the first light intensity from the light source while driving the fan with a third air volume that is higher than the first air volume, and then driving the fan with a second air volume that is smaller than the first air volume; A control method for switching between a second operation mode in which the photocatalyst member is refreshed by irradiating the photocatalyst member with a second operation mode.