JP7711929B2 - Heating and humidifying equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heating device that heats air drawn in through an intake port and blows it out through an exhaust port.

The heating device is an electric heater that draws in air from outside the housing, creates hot air, and blows the hot air in a specific direction. It is equipped with an air blowing section that draws air into the housing from an intake port and blows it toward an outlet port, and a heating section that heats the air that is blown toward the outlet port.

JP 2010-203760 A

The above conventional electric heaters have a structure in which the air blowing section blows air using a sirocco fan with a rotating shaft in the front-to-rear direction, which causes the air to be blown unevenly between the left and right sides of the duct, and the air does not hit the heating section (PTC heater) evenly.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heating device capable of evenly applying air to a heating portion.

The heating device according to the present invention comprises a blower section having an air intake port and an exhaust port and blowing air from the air intake port to the exhaust port, a heating section arranged downstream of the blower section and heating the blown air, and a duct section connected to the exhaust port of the blower section and housing the heating section, the blower section comprises a drive motor having a drive shaft extending in a first direction, a pair of sirocco fans connected to the drive shaft, and a casing housing the sirocco fans and having the exhaust port, the duct section has a pair of connection ports along the first direction that connect to the exhaust ports of the pair of casings, and the heating section is long in the first direction.

The above configuration allows air to be evenly applied to the heating section.

1A and 1B are perspective views of a heating device according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a view seen from below on the rear side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the humidifying unit is removed from the housing, as viewed from above on the rear side. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a heating device, where FIG. 1A is a cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction at the position of the sirocco fan, and FIG. 1B is a view of the irregular cross-section shown in FIG. 1A as seen from the arrow side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device with the housing and the humidifying unit removed, as viewed from above the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device with the housing and the humidifying unit removed, as viewed from below and behind. 1A is a perspective view of the frame seen from above on the rear side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the frame seen from above on the front side with the blower unit, duct unit, control unit, and humidifier unit removed. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the air blower unit, the duct unit in a disassembled state, and the control unit removed from the housing, where FIG. 1A is a diagram seen from above the front side, and FIG. 1A and 1B are views showing the air blower unit, the duct unit in a disassembled state, and the control unit removed from the housing, where FIG. 1A is a view seen from above the rear side, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the blower unit with the set of sirocco fans and the casing removed, as viewed from below the front, and of the duct unit as viewed from above the front. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion between the paper feed tank and the humidification unit main body. FIG. 4A and 4B are perspective views of a humidification unit main body in a disassembled state, in which FIG. 4A is a view from above the front, and FIG. 4B is a view from below the front. 1A is a top view of the humidifying unit body, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the outer tray. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views for explaining a state of use, in which (a) shows a case where only the heating function is used, and (b) shows a case where both the heating function and the humidifying function are used.

＜Overview＞
A first blower according to one aspect of the embodiment includes a blower section having an intake port and an exhaust port and blowing air from the intake port to the exhaust port, a heating section arranged downstream of the blower section and heating the blown air, and a duct section connected to the exhaust port of the blower section and accommodating the heating section, the blower section includes a drive motor having a drive shaft extending in a first direction, a pair of sirocco fans connected to the drive shaft, and a casing accommodating the sirocco fans and having the exhaust port, the duct section has a pair of connection ports connected to the exhaust ports of the pair of casings along the first direction, and the heating section is long in the first direction. As a result, air is supplied from the pair of sirocco fans from both sides of the duct section in the first direction, and the air can be evenly applied over a wide range to the heating section that is long in the first direction. In addition, the amount of heat generated in the heating section can be efficiently used to generate hot air.
The duct section may have at least one of the upstream air passage and the downstream air passage of the second blower device, or may not have both air passages. When both air passages are included, the heating section may be disposed in the upstream air passage, the downstream air passage, or may be disposed so as to straddle the upstream air passage and the downstream air passage. The total area of the pair of connection ports may be the same as the area of the portion where the heating section is disposed, or may be larger or smaller. The duct section may or may not have a connecting wall that is an inclined surface of the fourth blower device. The duct section may or may not have a guide plate section of the fifth blower device. When the duct section has a connecting wall and a guide plate section having an inclined surface, the inclination angle of the guide plate section may be the same as the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the connecting wall, or may be larger or smaller. In the case where a control unit for controlling the blower unit and the heater unit is provided, the control unit may be disposed on the opposite side of the rotation shaft of the sirocco fan from the exhaust port, on the same side, or disposed so as to straddle both sides. A humidifier unit may or may not be provided.

A second blower according to another aspect of the embodiment is the first blower, in which the duct section has an upstream air passage that guides the air blown from the exhaust port in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a downstream air passage that redirects the air that has passed through the upstream air passage and guides it in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and the heating section is disposed within the upstream air passage. This redirects the air flow within the duct section, making the device more compact. In addition, pressure loss caused by passing through the heating section is reduced, ensuring sufficient air volume.

A third blower according to another aspect of the embodiment is the first or second blower, and the duct section is configured so that the area of the portion in which the heating section is arranged is larger than the combined area of the pair of connection ports. This reduces the speed of the airflow sent from the connection port, and expands the range through which the air flows before it comes into contact with the heating section. This allows the air to be directed over a wide area of the heating section, and the heat generated by the heating section can be used efficiently.

In a fourth blower according to another aspect of the embodiment, in the first to third blowers, the duct section has a pair of end walls extending in the second direction from both ends on the outer side in the first direction of the pair of connection ports adjacent in the first direction, and a connection wall that protrudes into the duct from both ends on the inner side in the first direction of the pair of connection ports adjacent in the first direction and connects both ends on the inner side, and the surface of the connection wall inside the duct is an inclined surface that approaches the other adjacent connection port as it moves from both ends on the inner side to the downstream side in the second direction. This allows the air flow to spread from both ends of the duct section in the first direction to the inside, so that the air hits a wide area including the middle position of the heating section in the first direction, and the heat generated by the heating section can be efficiently utilized.

A fifth blower according to another aspect of the embodiment is the fourth blower, in which the duct section has a guide plate section downstream of the connection port that approaches the other adjacent connection port as it moves downstream in the second direction. This allows the air blown out from the casings connected to both sides of the duct in the first direction to be guided inward, so that the air can be directed over a wide area including the middle position of the heating section in the first direction, and the heat generated by the heating section can be efficiently utilized.

A sixth blower according to another embodiment is the fifth blower, in which the inclination angle of the guide plate with respect to the second direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined surface that connects to the upstream connection port of the guide plate with respect to the second direction. This allows the air flow in the duct to be smoothly guided toward the center in the first direction, reducing pressure loss in the airflow.

A seventh blower according to another embodiment is a blower according to any one of the first to sixth blowers, further comprising a control unit that controls the blower unit and the heating unit, and the control unit is disposed on the opposite side of the exhaust port across the rotation axis of the sirocco fan. This makes the control unit (electrical circuit board) less susceptible to the heat of the heating unit, and prevents breakdowns.

An eighth blower according to another embodiment is the first to seventh blowers, further comprising a humidifier section disposed downstream of the heating section and humidifying the air heated by the heating section, the humidifier section comprising a humidifying filter for humidifying the heated air, a humidifying tray for supplying water to the humidifying filter, a water supply tank for storing water to be supplied to the humidifying tray, and a filter case placed on the humidifying tray and housing the humidifying filter, the upper wall of the filter case being closed. This prevents air passing through the humidifying filter from escaping into the space beside the humidifying filter, improving the efficiency of humidification.

<Embodiment>
1. Overall Configuration A heating device as an example of an embodiment will be described.
1 to 3, the heating device X includes a housing 1 and a blower unit 2 and a duct unit 3 that houses a heating means 35. The blower unit 2 corresponds to an example of a blower section, the heating means corresponds to an example of a heating section, and the duct unit corresponds to an example of a duct section.
The heating device X mainly draws air in through the air inlet 12a (covered by a filter 19 in the drawing) of the housing 1 and blows it out from the air outlet 11a of the housing 1. The heating means 35 heats the air sent into the duct unit 3 by the blower unit 2 before the air is blown out from the duct unit 3.
The heating device X has an operation display unit 4 equipped with an operation means 41 and a display means 43, and a control unit 5 (see FIG. 3(a)) that controls the blower unit 2, the heating means 35, the display means 43, etc. in accordance with the operation content of the operation means 41. The control unit 5 is provided with a power supply means that generates power to be supplied to the blower unit 2, the heating means 35, and the control unit 5. The control unit corresponds to an example of a control unit.
The heating device X further includes a humidification unit 6 that humidifies the air sent out by the air blowing unit 2. The humidification unit corresponds to an example of a humidifying section. As shown in Fig. 2, the humidification unit 6 is composed of a humidification unit main body 60 and a water supply tank 61. The humidification unit main body 60 is removably installed on the opposite side of the housing 1 from the air outlet 11a, and the water supply tank 61 is configured to be removable from the housing 1.
For the sake of convenience, the side of the housing 1 where the air outlet 11a is located is referred to as the front side, and the side located to the right in the left-right direction when looking directly ahead at the air outlet 11a is referred to as the right side.
Each part will be explained below.

2. Housing The housing 1 is box-shaped (rectangular parallelepiped-shaped) as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Here, for example, it is thin in the front-rear direction and has a substantially square shape when viewed from the front. The housing 1 has an air outlet 11a in the front wall 11. The air outlet 11a is provided with one or more louvers 59 for changing the direction of the air being blown out. A human presence sensor 53 is provided in the upper part of the front wall 11, in the center of the left and right, and a cover 57 for protecting the human presence sensor 53 is visible in Figure 1.
The housing 1 has an intake port 12a in the rear wall 12. A filter 19 is removably attached to the rear wall 12 in correspondence with the intake port 12a. An opening 12b for the humidifying unit main body 60 is provided below the intake port 12a in the rear wall 12. The opening 12b is provided over substantially the entire length in the left-right direction. This can increase the humidifying capacity.
An operation and display unit 4 is provided on the upper wall 13 of the housing 1. The operation and display unit 4 is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and an opening 13a for the water supply tank 61 and a lid 17b that can open and close the opening 13a are provided on one side (the right side) in the left-right direction.

A blower unit 2, a duct unit 3, and a control unit 5 are housed and supported inside the housing 1. Here, as shown in Fig. 3, the blower port 11a is provided on the lower side and the inlet port 12a is provided on the upper side, the blower unit 2 is disposed on the upper side toward the left, the duct unit 3 is disposed in the middle in the vertical direction toward the left, the humidifier unit main body 60 is disposed on the lower side toward the left, water supply tanks 61 are disposed above and below on the right side, and the control unit 5 is disposed above the front side of the blower unit 2. This allows the heating device X to be made compact.
Since the control unit 5 and the operation display unit 4 are disposed on the upper side and the humidifier unit body 60 is disposed on the lower side, the electrical components are unlikely to get wet. Since the control unit 5 and the operation display unit 4 are disposed above the rotation axis of the sirocco fan 22 and the heating means 35 is disposed downstream of the sirocco fan 22, the air heated by the heating means 35 is unlikely to flow toward the electrical components.
The heating means 35 is disposed in the center in the vertical direction, and the humidifying unit body 60 is disposed at the lower side, so that the heating means 35 and the humidifying unit body 60 are located close to each other, thereby making it possible to reduce heat loss of the air passing through the humidifying unit body 60.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing 1 comprises a frame 14 on which the blower unit 2, duct unit 3, and control unit 5 are attached, a front cover 15 covering the front side of the frame 14, a right rear cover 16 covering the right side and right rear side of the frame, and an upper cover 17a and a lid body 17b covering the upper side of the frame 14.
The frame 14 has a partition wall 141 which partitions a space for accommodating the water supply tank 61 from a space for accommodating the air blowing unit 2, the duct unit 3, etc., a front right wall 142 which extends to the right from the front end of the partition wall 141, a rear left wall 143 which extends to the left from the rear end of the partition wall 141, a right wall 144 which extends to the rear from the right end of the front right wall 142, and a left wall 145 which extends to the front from the left end of the rear left wall 143, all of which are integrally erected from the bottom wall 140. As a result, the rear side of the frame 14 becomes the space for accommodating the water supply tank 61, and the front side of the frame 14 becomes the space for accommodating the air blowing unit 2, etc., and with a simple configuration, the water supply tank 61 for storing water and the electric components such as the air blowing unit 2, the heating means 35, the control unit 5, and the operation display unit 4 can be partitioned in terms of arrangement.
A unit accommodation section (accommodation space) 146 that accommodates the air blower unit 2, duct unit 3, control unit 5, and operation display unit 4 is composed of the partition wall 141, rear left wall 143 and left wall 145, front cover 15, and upper cover 17a of the frame 14. A water supply tank accommodation section (accommodation space) 147 that accommodates the water supply tank 61 is composed of the partition wall 141, front right wall 142 and right wall 144 of the frame 14, and right rear cover 16.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the frame 14 has mounting portions 148a for mounting the blower unit 2, the duct unit 3, and the control unit 5, and positioning portions 148b for positioning each unit.
As shown in Fig. 6(a), a notch 141a is formed on the lower side of partition wall 141, a notch 143a is formed on the lower side of rear left wall 143, and a notch 163a is formed on the lower side of rear wall 163 of right rear cover 16 as shown in Fig. 5, and notches 141a, 143a, 163a are continuous with each other. As a result, a space is formed with an open rear portion on the lower side of housing 1 as shown in Fig. 2, and this space becomes humidification unit housing section (housing space) 151 that houses humidification unit main body 60.

6(b), the frame 14 has a front left wall portion 152 extending to the left side substantially flush with the front right wall portion 142, and a middle left wall portion 153 extending rearward from the left end of the front left wall portion 152 to connect to the rear left wall portion 143. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the humidification unit accommodating portion 151 is made up of the bottom wall portion 140 of the frame 14, the front left wall portion 152, the lower side of the front right wall portion 142, the lower side of the right wall portion 144, the middle left wall portion 153, and the lower side of the right wall portion 161 of the right rear cover 16 (see FIG. 4, etc.).
The frame 14 has an extension portion 154 that extends horizontally across an upper portion of the front left wall portion 152 and an upper portion of the center left wall portion 153 and projects to the opposite side of the humidification unit housing portion 151. The upper ends of the front left wall portion 152 and the center left wall portion 153 fit into fitting portion 30g of the duct unit 3, and the extension portion 154 abuts against extension portion 30h of fitting portion 30g of the duct unit 3 from below to support the duct unit 3, as shown in FIG.
The frame 14 has an attachment portion 155 on the front left wall portion 152 for attaching the front cover 15 .

3. Blower unit As shown in Fig. 9, the blower unit 2 draws in air through an intake port 23a and expels it from an exhaust port 23b. As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the blower unit 2 includes a drive motor 20 having a drive shaft 21 extending in the left-right direction (first direction), a pair of sirocco fans 22 connected to the drive shaft 21, and a casing 23 that houses the sirocco fans 22.
The blower unit 2 here has a casing 23 that houses a sirocco fan 22 and is provided with a drive motor 20 therebetween in the left-right direction.
9, each casing 23 has an intake port 23a on both end surfaces in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to increase the suction force compared to when a single sirocco fan having a length equivalent to that of two sirocco fans arranged side by side in the left-right direction draws in air through the intake ports on both end surfaces of a single casing.
The two casings 23 have exhaust ports 23b facing downward. The two exhaust ports 23b are provided at a distance in the left-right direction. The outer peripheral surface of the opening end constituting the exhaust port 23b has a flange 23c that protrudes outward. The two casings 23 have a connecting portion 24 for connecting the drive motor 20 therebetween.

9, the duct unit 3 has two connection ports 30c arranged in the left-right direction and connected to the exhaust ports 23b of the pair of casings 23. A heater 35, which is a heating unit, is housed in the air passage in the duct unit 3.
When viewed from the left-right direction, the duct unit 3 has an "L" shape extending forward. That is, the air entering from the connection port 30c has an "L" shaped air passage 30 inside, in which the air flows downward and then forward as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3A. In other words, the duct unit 3 has an upstream air passage 30a that guides the air sent out from the exhaust port 23b of the blower unit 2 in a downward direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and a downstream air passage 30b that changes the direction of the air that has passed through the upstream air passage 30a and guides it in a forward direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the downward direction. The heater 35 is disposed in the upstream air passage 30a. The downward direction is an example of the second direction, and the forward direction is an example of the third direction.

The heater 35 is, for example, a PTC heater. The heater 35 has many through holes in the vertical direction, but for convenience, it is shown in the figure as a plate. The heater 35 is plate-shaped and is supported with its main surface perpendicular to the vertical direction.

As shown in Fig. 9, the duct unit 3 has two connection ports 30c and one air outlet 30d. The two connection ports 30c are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction, join together in the upstream air passage 30a, and are discharged from one air outlet 30d in the downstream air passage 30b. The discharged air passes through a louver 59 and is blown out from the air outlet 11a (see Fig. 1(b)).
The total area of the two connection ports 30c is smaller than the area of the portion where the heater 35 is disposed.
As shown in Figures 3(b) and 9, the duct unit 3 has a V-shaped portion 30e that protrudes downstream between the two connection ports 30c and connects the inner ends of the pair of connection ports 30c in the left-right direction so that the air entering from the two connection ports 30c joins together upstream of the heater 35, and a guide plate portion 30f that guides air toward the center in the left-right direction downstream of the connection ports 30c.
The surface of the V-shaped portion 30e that contacts the inside of the duct unit 3 is an inclined surface that approaches the left-right center (a virtual line that passes through the center of the pair of connection ports 30c and extends in the up-down direction) as it moves downward. In other words, the inner surface of the V-shaped portion 30e is an inclined surface that approaches the adjacent other connection ports 30c as it moves downward from both ends on the inner side in the left-right direction of the connection port 30c. The V-shaped portion 30e corresponds to an example of a connection wall.
The guide plate portion 30f is inclined downward so as to approach the center in the left-right direction (a virtual line passing through the center of the pair of connection ports 30c and extending in the up-down direction). In other words, the guide plate portion 30f is inclined downward so as to approach the adjacent other connection port 30c.

The air passage 30, the V-shaped portion 30e, and the guide plate portion 30f are configured to be symmetrical with respect to a virtual plane that passes through the center of the direction in which the pair of connection ports 30c are arranged (left-right direction), that is, the center between the pair of connection ports 30c, and is perpendicular to the left-right direction. This makes it possible to reduce the variation in the fluidity (air volume) of the air in the air passage 30 in the left-right direction. By reducing the variation in the fluidity, the air is heated evenly by the heater 35 that is long in the left-right direction.
7 and 8, the duct unit 3 is made up of a plurality of duct members. Here, the duct unit 3 is separated into a front duct body 31 and a rear duct body 33.

(2) Front Duct Body The front duct body 31 has a front wall portion 311 that constitutes the front wall of the upstream-side air passage 30a, an upper wall portion 312 that constitutes the upper wall of the downstream-side air passage 30b, a front side wall portion 313 that extends rearward and downward from both the left and right ends of the front wall portion 311 and the upper wall portion 312 to constitute the front portion of the side wall of the air passage 30, and a front lower wall portion 314 that extends in the front-rear direction below the upper wall portion 312 and constitutes the lower wall excluding the rear end portion of the lower wall of the downstream-side air passage 30b. The outlet 30d is constituted by the front end edges of the upper wall portion 312, the front side wall portion 313, and the front lower wall portion 314.
The front duct body 31 has a top wall portion 315 located between the pair of connection ports 30c. In other words, the front duct body 31 has the top wall portion 315 extending rearward from the upper end of the front wall portion 311, which is the middle portion in the left-right direction. The front portion of the connection port 30c is composed of the upper end of the front wall portion 311, the upper end of the front side wall portion 313, and the left and right ends of the top wall portion 315. The front duct body 31 has a stepped front fitting portion 316 that is above the upper end of the front wall portion 311, the upper end of the front side wall portion 313, and the left and right ends of the top wall portion 315 and extends forward or left and right.
As shown in Figure 8, the front duct body 31 has a front V-shaped portion 317 having inclined surfaces that approach each other as they move downward from the left-right edges of the top wall portion 315, and a front guide plate portion 318 that extends rearward from below the front part of the connection port 30c in the front wall portion 311 and approaches the center in the left-right direction as it moves downward.
The front duct body 31 has a plurality of front support portions 319 on the front wall portion 311 for supporting the upper and lower ends of the heater 35 .

8B, the front lower wall portion 314 has an inlet 314a on the rear side for allowing the air sent out from the blower unit 2 to flow into the humidifier unit 6, and an outlet 314b on the front side for allowing the air that has passed through the humidifier unit 6 to flow out to the downstream air passage 30b. The inlet 314a is made up of a plurality of small openings. The outlet 314b is made up of a plurality of openings (four in this example) that are larger than the inlet 314a, and the front lower wall portion 314 is reinforced by connecting portions 314c between the openings.
The front duct body 31 has a front fitting portion 321 extending downward from the left end and front end of the front lower wall portion 314, and a front extension portion 323 extending horizontally outward from the front fitting portion 321.

7 and 8, the rear duct body 33 has a rear wall portion 331 that constitutes the rear wall of the upstream-side air passage 30a, a rear side wall portion 333 that extends forward from both the left and right ends of the rear wall portion 331 and constitutes the rear portion of the side wall of the air passage 30, and a rear lower wall portion 334 that constitutes the rear portion of the lower wall of the downstream-side air passage 30b. The rear side wall portion 333 and the front side wall portion 313 constitute the side wall 30j of the duct unit 3 shown in FIG. 9 and correspond to an example of an end wall extending downward (in the second direction).
The rear duct body 33 has a top wall portion 335 located between the pair of connection ports 30c. In other words, the rear duct body 33 has the top wall portion 335 extending forward from the upper end of the rear wall portion 331, which is the middle portion in the left-right direction. The rear portion of the connection port 30c is composed of the upper end of the rear wall portion 331, the upper end of the rear side wall portion 333, and the left and right ends of the top wall portion 335. The connection port 30c is composed of the upper end of the front wall portion 311 of the front duct body 31, the upper end of the front side wall portion 313, the left and right ends of the top wall portion 315, the upper end of the rear wall portion 331 of the rear duct body 33, the upper end of the rear side wall portion 333, and the left and right ends of the top wall portion 335.
7, the rear duct body 33 has a stepped rear fitting portion 336 that extends upward from the upper end of the rear wall portion 331, the upper end of the rear side wall portion 333, and the left and right ends of the top wall portion 335 and to the rear or left and right sides. The front fitting portion 316 and the rear fitting portion 336 form a fitting portion 326 (see FIG. 9), and the flange portion 23c at the opening end that constitutes the exhaust port 23b of the casing 23 of the blower unit 2 fits into the fitting portion 326. This allows the blower unit 2 to be connected in a state of increased airtightness.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the rear duct body 33 has a rear V-shaped portion 337 having inclined surfaces that approach each other as they move downward from the left-right edges of the top wall portion 335, and a rear guide plate portion 338 that extends forward from below the rear part of the connection port 30c in the rear wall portion 331 and approaches the center in the left-right direction as it moves downward.
The front V-shaped portion 317 and the rear V-shaped portion 337 form the V-shaped portion 30e shown in Fig. 9, and the front guide plate portion 318 and the rear guide plate portion 338 form the guide plate portion 30f shown in Fig. 9. The inclination angle of the guide plate portion 30f in the vertical direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the V-shaped portion 30e that connects to the connection port 30c located above the guide plate portion 30f in the vertical direction. This allows the air that enters from the connection port 30c to be smoothly guided inward in the left-right direction, reducing pressure loss.
The rear duct body 33 has a plurality of rear support portions 339 on the rear wall portion 331 for supporting the upper and lower ends of the heater 35 .

7, the rear lower wall portion 334 has a notch 334a to fit into the rearward protruding portion of the front lower wall portion 314. The rear lower wall portion 334 has a groove portion 334b facing the notch 334a into which the protruding portion of the front lower wall portion 314 is inserted. This allows the front lower wall portion 314 and the rear lower wall portion 334 to be reliably connected.
The rear duct body 33 has a rear fitting portion 341 extending downward from the left end of the rear lower wall portion 334, and a rear extension portion 343 extending horizontally outward in the left-right direction from the rear fitting portion 341. The rear fitting portion 341 and the front fitting portion 321 form a fitting portion 30g shown in Fig. 9, and the rear extension portion 343 and the front extension portion 323 form an extension portion 30h shown in Fig. 9.

(4) Switching Means Duct unit 3 has inlet 314a on the rear side and outlet 314b on the front side of front lower wall portion 314, and is configured to send air to the humidifying unit 6. In other words, duct unit 3 includes switching means 36 therein for switching between a first state in which air entering from blower unit 2 is sent out from outlet 30d at the downstream end of downstream-side air passage 30b, and a second state in which air is sent out from outlet 30d via humidifying unit 6.
The switching means 36 has a rotatably supported switching plate 361 and a drive motor 363 that rotates the switching plate 361 between a first state and a second state, and the control unit 5 drives the drive motor 363 by operating the operation means 41. Although there is only one switching plate 361, the switching plate 361 is shown in both the first state and the second state in Figs. 7 and 8. The switching plate 361 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction, one long side of which serves as a rotation axis, and a rotation shaft portion 365 extends outward in the left-right direction from both left-right ends and is supported by the front wall portion 313 of the front duct body 31. One of the rotation shaft portions 365 is connected to the drive motor 363 by inserting it through a through hole 313a of the front wall portion 313.

(5) Sensor The duct unit 3 has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater 35 or a temperature corresponding to the temperature, as shown in Fig. 9. The temperature sensor here is provided on the outer surface of the front wall portion 311 of the front duct body 31 at a position corresponding to the heater 35. The temperature sensor is provided in a state of being housed in a protective case 37.

5. Operation and display unit The operation and display unit 4 is configured by mounting the operation means 41 and the display means 43 on a single board 45, and as shown in Fig. 5, the board 45 is attached to the rear surface of the upper cover 17a. The operation and display unit 4 is disposed in the middle of the left and right direction as a device.

6. Control Unit The control unit 5 includes a plurality of electronic components and a circuit board on which these components are mounted, which are housed in the case 51 and attached to a recess 149 in the rear left wall 143 of the frame 14 via an attachment portion 148 as shown in Fig. 6. A plurality of electronic components for generating driving power are also mounted on the circuit board. The recess 149 in the frame 14 is used when the heating device X is transported.
A fixing plate 55 having the human presence sensor 53 is provided on the case 51 of the control unit 5. This allows the human presence sensor 53 to be located close to the board of the control unit 5.

7. Humidification Unit The humidification unit 6 has a humidification unit body 60 and a water tank 61, as shown in FIG.
(1) Water supply tank As shown in Fig. 2, the water supply tank 61 has a tank body 611 having a cylindrical tube portion 612 (see Fig. 10) that protrudes downward from the lower part, and a cap 613 that is removably attached to the tube portion 612 of the tank body 611. The lower end of the tube portion 612 is open, allowing water to be poured in and out.
The tank body 611 has a vertically long shape and has a handle portion 611a at the top.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the cap 613 has a cylindrical portion 615 extending in the axial direction (up and down direction) at the bottom of a cylindrical cap body 614 with a bottom, a ring portion 616 supported by the cylindrical portion 615, a rod body 617 having a flange portion 617a at its lower end and inserting the ring portion 616 in the axial direction, a spring body 618 arranged between the ring portion 616 and a protrusion portion 617b above the flange portion 617a of the rod body 617, and a valve body 619 provided at the upper end of the rod body 617.
When the valve body 619 is removed from the heating device X, the rod body 617 is urged downward by the spring body 618, so that it blocks the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 615. When the valve body 619 is set in the heating device X, the rod body 617 moves upward by the convex portion 661a of the humidification unit main body 60, so as to open the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 615.

(2) Humidifying Unit Main Body The humidifying unit main body 60 is of a so-called evaporation type in which air passes through a moist humidifying filter 63. As shown in Fig. 11 , the humidifying unit main body 60 at least includes a humidifying filter 63 that humidifies air heated by a heater 35 by passing through it, a humidifying tray 64 for supplying water to the humidifying filter 63, and a filter case 65 that is placed on the humidifying tray 64 and contains the humidifying filter 63.
The humidifying unit main body 60 here has an outer tray 66 that stores water received from a water supply tank 61, and the water is supplied to a humidifying tray 64 arranged in the outer tray 66. The humidifying unit main body 60 is provided with a processing member for performing predetermined water-related processing on the water stored in the outer tray 66 and the water to be supplied to the humidifying tray 64, and a float 68 for detecting the water level stored in the outer tray 66, inside the outer tray 66.

(2-1) Humidifying Filter For example, a pleated filter formed by folding a nonwoven fabric can be used as the humidifying filter 63. The humidifying filter 63 is a rectangular paper-like filter that is folded back and forth at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction to form a zigzag shape, and multiple sheets (for example, two sheets) are arranged along the left-right direction.
(2-2) Humidifying Tray As shown in FIG. 11 , the humidifying tray 64 has a box-shaped tray main body 641 which is open at the top, an opening 643 provided in the bottom part of the tray main body 641, and a number of vertical ribs 645 for regulating the position of the filter case 65 in the front-to-rear direction.
The tray main body 641 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from above.
A plurality of openings 643 are provided, two in total on both left and right sides on the lower side of filter case 65, and four in total provided at intervals in the left and right direction on the rear side of filter case 65. This allows water to be stored evenly in humidifying tray 64.
The vertical rib portions 645 are end walls (left and right end walls) on the short sides of the tray main body 641, and a total of four are provided, one on the front and one on the back of the filter case 65. The filter case 65 is inserted into the humidifying tray 64 from above along the pair of front and rear vertical rib portions 645.

(2-3) Filter Case Filter case 65 is shaped like a long box in the left-right direction, is substantially open at the front and rear, and has an opening 651 at the bottom that is centered in the front-to-rear direction and spans the left-to-right direction. Opening 651 faces opening 643 of humidifying tray 64. This allows water to flow smoothly into humidifying tray 64.
The filter case 65 is composed of two parts, a front and a back, to house the humidifying filter 63, but the left and right end walls and the top wall are blocked. This causes air flowing in from the rear side of the filter case 65 to pass through the humidifying filter 63 and flow out from the front side. In other words, because the top wall and the left and right end walls are blocked, most of the air flowing in from the rear side passes through the humidifying filter 63 and flows out from the front side of the filter case 65, improving humidification efficiency.

(2-4) Outer Tray As shown in Figures 11(a) and 12, the outer tray 66 has a water receiving section 661 located below the water supply tank 61 and receiving water from the water supply tank 61, a tray arrangement section 662 in which the humidification tray 64 is arranged, and a gripping section forming section 663 for forming a gripping section 663a when inserting and removing the outer tray 66 from the housing 1.

The water receiving section 661 is partitioned by a tray arrangement section 662 and a partition wall section 664, and has a box shape with an open top including the partition wall section 664. The water receiving section 661 has a convex section 661a for pushing up the valve body 619 when the water supply tank 61 is set, an extension section 661b surrounding the convex section 661a and extending outside the cylindrical section 615 of the cap 613 of the water supply tank 61 to a position higher than the lower end of the cylindrical section 615, a float accommodating section 661c for accommodating the float 68, a float support section 661d (see FIG. 11(a)) for supporting the float 68 so that it can move up and down, and a case accommodating section 661e for accommodating a case 67 for accommodating a silver-containing member (not shown) that imparts an antibacterial effect as an example of a treatment member.
In addition, a through hole 664 a is provided on the lower side of the partition wall portion 664 to allow water to flow from the water receiving portion 661 to the tray placement portion 662 side.

The tray placement section 662 is disposed in the left-right direction relative to the water receiving section 661. This allows the dimension in the front-rear direction to be reduced. The left-right direction is the direction in which the two sirocco fans 22 and the drive motor 20 are aligned, and is longer than the front-rear direction. The tray placement section 662 has multiple ribs 662a to prevent the humidifying tray 64 from rattling.
The grip component 663 is configured to straddle the water receiving portion 661 and the tray placement portion 662 , and the grip 663 a is configured by a recessed portion on the back side of the rear wall portion 66 a of the outer tray 66 .

(2-5) Float The float 68 moves up and down depending on the amount of water stored in the water receiving portion 661. Here, a pair of convex portions 681 protruding in the left and right directions of the float 68 are movably supported by a concave portion which is the float support portion 661d of the water receiving portion 661. A magnet (not shown) is housed within the float 68, and is detected by the magnetic field sensor 58 attached to the frame 14, as shown in FIG.

8. Use The heating device X has a heating function that can blow out heated air, and a heating and humidifying function that can humidify the heated air and blow it out.
The usage state of each function will be described below.
(1) Heating Function This will be explained with reference to FIG.
When the user operates the operating means 41 to turn off and start the humidification function, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the switching plate 361 of the switching means 36 closes the inlet 314a to the humidification unit 6. As a result, as shown by the arrow A in the figure, the air sent out by the blower unit 2 is heated by the heater 35 while passing through the upstream air passage 30a, passes through the downstream air passage 30b, and is blown out from the air outlet 11a of the housing 1 to the outside.

(2) Heating and humidifying function When the user operates the operating means 41 to turn on and start the humidifying function, as shown in Fig. 13(b), the switching plate 361 of the switching means 36 closes the upstream side of the downstream air passage 30b, and the inlet 314a to the humidifying unit 6 side opens. As a result, as shown by the arrow B in the figure, the air sent out by the blower unit 2 is heated by the heater 35 while passing through the upstream air passage 30a, and enters the downstream air passage 30b from the inlet 314a on the humidifying unit 6 side, passes through the humidifying filter 63, and then enters the downstream air passage 30b from the outlet 314b. The humidified air that has entered the downstream air passage 30b is blown out to the outside from the outlet 11a of the housing 1 together with the air (arrow C in the figure) that has been heated by the heater 35 and entered the downstream air passage 30b from between the extension part 311a of the front duct body 31 of the duct unit 3 and the switching plate 361.

Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and may be modified as follows, for example. In addition, the embodiment and the modified examples may be combined, or the modified examples may be combined.
Furthermore, the present invention also includes examples that are not described in the embodiments and modified examples, and design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

<Modification>
1. Heating Device The heating device X includes a humidifying unit 6, but this need not be the case. The heating device X may also include a unit having a function other than humidifying. Examples of functions other than humidifying include a dehumidifying function, a circulator function, and an air purifying function. These functions may be provided independently or together with the humidifying unit.

2. Position of Blower Section (1) The blower unit 2 is disposed in the upper part of the housing 1 with the drive shaft 21 extending in the left-right direction. However, for example, the blower unit 2 may be disposed in the lower part of the housing 1 with the drive shaft 21 extending in the left-right direction, or may be disposed in the left or right part of the housing with the drive shaft 21 extending in the up-down direction.
(2) Number of Sirocco Fans The blower unit 2 includes two sirocco fans 22 and a drive motor 20 in the left-right direction, which is an example of the first direction. However, the blower unit 2 may include, for example, three or more sirocco fans.
In this case, a single drive motor may rotate a plurality of sirocco fans, or a plurality of sets of one drive motor and two sirocco fans may be provided in the first direction.
(3) Drive Shaft The first direction in which the drive shaft 21 extends is the left-right direction, but it may be the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, or a direction intersecting these. In the embodiment, the drive shaft 21 of the drive motor 20 extends, and the sirocco fan 22 is attached to the extending portion, but for example, the drive motor rotation shaft may be connected to the rotation shaft of the sirocco fan.
(4) Position of Sirocco Fan The pair of sirocco fans 22 may be arranged on either side of the drive motor 20 as long as they are arranged in the first direction, or may be adjacent to each other on one side of the drive motor 20.
(5) Intake Port and Exhaust Port The casing 23 has the intake ports 23a on the two end walls perpendicular to the first direction, but the casing 23 may have the intake port 23a only on the end face away from the drive motor 20, or may have the intake port 23a only on the end face close to the drive motor 20. Incidentally, having the intake ports 23a on both end faces is preferable in terms of suction force.
Although the exhaust port 23b faces downward, it may face in another direction depending on the connection relationship with the duct unit 3.

3. Duct unit (1) Air passage 30 is "L" shaped when viewed from the extension direction of drive shaft 21 of drive motor 20. In other words, upstream air passage 30a and downstream air passage 30b are approximately perpendicular to each other. This makes it easy to configure an air passage that goes to the humidifying unit 6 side and an air passage that does not go to the humidifying unit 6 side by utilizing a structure that changes the air flow direction from upstream air passage 30a to downstream air passage 30b.
However, when the humidifying unit 6 is not provided, the air conditioner may have an "I" shape (straight line) when viewed from the extension direction of the drive shaft 21. Even when the humidifying unit 6 is provided, the angle between the upstream air passage 30a and the downstream air passage 30b does not have to be 90 degrees, and may be within the range of 75 degrees to 105 degrees.
(2) Connecting Wall The V-shaped portion 30e, which is an example of a connecting wall, has two inclined surfaces connected at the lower end. However, the lower end does not have to be connected, or the lower end may be flat as long as it does not affect the air flow (in this case, the shape will resemble a trapezoid with a short bottom length).
The connecting wall may be a V-shape with a linear inclined surface, a U-shape with a curved inclined surface, a semicircular shape, or an inverse elliptical shape. However, in consideration of the fluidity of the air, a linear V-shape is preferable. In addition, in consideration of the pressure loss of the air, the angle of the inclined surface with respect to the second direction is preferably 40 to 80 degrees.
(3) Guide Plate Portion Although one guide plate portion 30f is provided for each connection port 30c, a plurality of guide plate portions 30f may be provided in the left-right direction or a plurality of guide plate portions 30f may be provided in the up-down direction.
The guide plate portion 30f is provided at each connection port 30c and is straight, but it may be curved, straight with multiple angles of inclination, curved with multiple radii of curvature, or a shape having both straight and curved portions.
Furthermore, in consideration of air pressure loss, the angle of the guide plate portion with respect to the second direction is preferably 10 to 40 degrees.
(4) Top Wall Section Although the front duct body 31 has the top wall section 315 and the rear duct body 33 has the top wall section 335, for example, the outer surface of the duct unit 3 may be formed by the outer surface of the V-shaped section 30e, and a configuration without a top wall section may be adopted.

4. Heating section The heating section is configured with one heater 35 long in the left-right direction, but may be configured with multiple heaters 35 in the longitudinal direction. However, when multiple heaters are used, there is a possibility that temperature unevenness may occur between adjacent heaters, so a single heater is preferable.

5. Humidification Unit The humidification unit 6 is of a so-called vaporization type, but may be of an ultrasonic type, a heating type, or a hybrid type, for example.
The air supplied to the humidifying unit main body 60 (humidifying filter 63) is configured to pass through the humidifying filter 63 from the air passage 30 and return to the air passage 30, but the air that has passed through the humidifying filter 63 may be blown out through a path other than the air passage 30. In consideration of the structure, space, and path components of the separate path, it is preferable to use the air passage 30.

6. Operation and Display Unit and Control Unit The operation and display unit 4 is provided on the upper wall 13, but may be provided in another location. However, taking into consideration the heat of the heater 35, it is preferable to place the operation and display unit 4 on the opposite side of the heater 35 with respect to the rotation axis of the sirocco fan 22.
The control unit 5 is attached to the frame 14 in a state where it is located behind the top wall 13 and behind the front wall 11, but it may be provided on another member or in another location. However, taking into consideration the heat of the heater 35, it is preferable to place it in an area opposite the heater 35 with respect to the rotation axis of the sirocco fan 22. Also, taking into consideration the rotational vibration of the drive motor 20, it is preferable to place it on a member other than the blower fan, for example, on the front wall or top wall.

1 Housing 2 Blower unit (blower section)
3 Duct unit (duct section)
20 Drive motor 21 Drive shaft 22 Sirocco fan 23 Casing 23a Intake port 23b Exhaust port 30c Connection port 35 Heater (heating unit)
X Heating device

Claims (8)

a blower section having an intake port and an exhaust port and configured to blow air from the intake port to the exhaust port;
A heating section disposed downstream of the blowing section and configured to heat the blown air;
a duct portion connected to the exhaust port of the blower portion and housing the heating portion;
a humidification section disposed downstream of the heating section and configured to humidify the air heated by the heating section;
a housing that houses the air blowing unit, the duct unit, and the humidifying unit,
the humidifying unit includes a humidifying filter that humidifies the heated air, a humidifying tray that supplies water to the humidifying filter, and a water supply tank that stores water to be supplied to the humidifying tray;
the blower unit includes a drive motor having a drive shaft extending in a first direction, a pair of sirocco fans connected to the drive shaft, and a casing that houses the sirocco fans and has the exhaust port;
the duct portion has a pair of connection ports connected to the pair of exhaust ports of the casings along the first direction, and has an inlet for joining the air entering from the pair of connection ports upstream of the heating portion and allowing the air to flow into the humidifying portion,
The heating portion is long in the first direction,
The humidifying tray is elongated in the first direction, and the humidifying filter is disposed along the first direction.
The air sent out from the air blowing unit is heated by the heating unit, passes through the inlet and the humidifying filter, and is blown out to the outside from the outlet of the housing .
The humidification unit is disposed below the duct unit so as to be insertable and detachable,
a surface of the housing in which an opening for inserting and removing the humidifying unit is formed is located on the opposite side to a surface of the housing in which the air outlet is formed in a direction in which the humidifying unit is inserted and removed.
Heating and humidifying device. the duct portion has an upstream air passage that guides the air blown from the exhaust port in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a downstream air passage that changes the direction of the air that has passed through the upstream air passage and guides it in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction,
The heating unit is disposed in the upstream air duct.
The heating and humidifying device according to claim 1. The duct portion is configured such that an area of a portion where the heating portion is arranged is larger than a total area of the pair of connection ports.
The heating and humidifying device according to claim 1 or 2. The duct portion is
a pair of end walls extending in the second direction from both ends on an outer side in the first direction of the pair of connection ports adjacent to each other in the first direction;
a connection wall that projects into the duct from both ends on an inner side in the first direction of the pair of connection ports adjacent to each other in the first direction and connects the both ends on the inner side,
a surface of the connection wall inside the duct that is an inclined surface approaching the adjacent other connection port as it moves from both ends of the inner side to the downstream side in the second direction;
The heating and humidifying device according to claim 2. The duct portion has a guide plate portion on the downstream side of the connection port, the guide plate portion approaching the adjacent other connection port as the guide plate portion moves downstream in the second direction.
The heating and humidifying device according to claim 4. an inclination angle of the guide plate portion with respect to the second direction is smaller than an inclination angle of the inclined surface connected to the upstream connection port of the guide plate portion with respect to the second direction;
The heating and humidifying device according to claim 5. A control unit for controlling the blower and the heater is further provided.
The control unit is disposed on the opposite side of the exhaust port across the rotation shaft of the sirocco fan.
The heating and humidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. a filter case that is placed on the humidifying tray and that houses the humidifying filter;
The upper wall of the filter case is closed.
The heating and humidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.