JPH01310711A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for write indication of reference value at every operating time and to enable proper automatic operation by writing the reference value for deciding the output of a gas sensor into a nonvolatile memory element. CONSTITUTION:Two operation modes of both automatic operation at a time when gas concn. and generation of flame have been detected by a gas sensor 6 and an ultraviolet-ray sensor 7 and manual operation operated by the air quantity setting switch of an infrared-ray remote control transmitting part B are provided. For example, an operation level is regulated according to the detection time difference of both sensor 6, 7 so that an air cleaner is operated with higher capacity in comparison with the vicinity of the air cleaner when smoking is performed distant therefrom. Further the need for resetting may be eliminated at a reoperating time after turn OFF of a power source and device interruption by writing air quantity in manual operation, sensor sensitivity and operating time of a filter into a nonvolatile memory element 16. When the stable value in the clean atmosphere at a point of time for delivery is written thereinto, decision of automatic operation is accurately performed in a household, etc.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial applications The present invention relates to an air cleaner equipped with a sensor.

Conventional technology This type of air purifier is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-205783.
The one in Publication No. 1 is known. The outline is shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. A filter 111 for purifying air is inserted into the front grill of the main body case 110 shown in FIG. At the top of the main body case 1]0 there is a gas sensor 112,
Power switch 113, automatic/manual selector switch 114,
A setting switch 115 for instructing reading of the initial value of the gas sensor 112, and an indicator lamp 116 for indicating automatic operation, strength of air volume, etc. are provided. In addition, setting switch 11
5 is operated, the initial value of the gas sensor 112 is written into the storage section 117. Here, the storage section 117 is composed of a volatile storage element. Originally, the gas sensor 112 uses propane.

It reacts depending on the concentration of gas such as butane,
Cigarette smoke, which is the main purpose of household air purifiers, generates gas when it burns, so the gas sensor 1
By using the change in gas concentration detected by the sensor 12, the concentration of smoke such as cigarettes can be detected. The state of the control will be explained based on FIGS. 8 and 9. First, the power source 121 is turned on using the power switch 113. The automatic/manual changeover switch 114 is set to automatic, and the automatic program is set to star 1-. Then, when the air in the room is not polluted, the user himself/herself operates the setting switch 115 to store the output of the gas sensor 1.12 at that time in the storage section 117 as an initial value. When the automatic operation mode is set in this way, the arithmetic processing unit 118 compares the initial value stored in the storage unit 117 with the occasional output of the gas sensor 112,
When the gas concentration is higher than the initial value, the motor 120 and the indicator lamp 116 are operated for a certain period of time through the control unit 119. The output of the gas sensor 112 at this time is stored in the storage unit 117 as a new reference value in place of the initial value. Further, the output of the gas sensor] 12 is compared with a reference value stored in the storage unit 117, and if the gas concentration is lower than the reference value, the operation is continued for a while and then stopped, returning to the initial state.

If the gas concentration output from the gas sensor 112 is higher than the reference value, it is operated again for a certain period of time, the output value is set as a new reference value, and the same process is repeated.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, the output of the gas sensor 112 has large variations among individual sensors, so it must be kept at a constant value, and conditions such as the size of the room in which it will be used cannot be specified, so it cannot be used. To determine the cleanliness level for each condition, the initial output each time it is used is written into the storage unit 117, and this is set as the cleanliness level. The problem was that it didn't.

Furthermore, when automatic operation is used at bedtime, if the device is operated with a large air volume, it will generate a large amount of noise that is not intended by the user. In addition, in order to perform appropriate automatic operation regardless of the size of the room, a sensitivity changeover switch is provided to change the judgment comparison value of 0N10FF with respect to the output of the gas sensor 112, so that the user can It is necessary to operate the

The first object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for the user to operate a setting switch and instruct the reading of the initial value of the gas sensor as in the past, and to provide an air conditioner that can appropriately determine when to start operation. The purpose is to provide a purifier.

The second problem is to prevent the generation of noise that is not intended by the user in automatic operation mode, and the third problem is to realize appropriate automatic operation according to the size of the room in which the system is used.

Means for Solving the Problems The air purifier according to claim 1 compares the occasional output of a gas sensor that detects the degree of air pollution with the content written in advance in a storage section to start air purifying operation. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the storage section is configured with a non-volatile storage element, and the air conditioner has an automatic operation mode in which the air cleaning operation is performed by determining the output of the gas sensor, and the output of the gas sensor. According to claim 3, the air purifier is provided with a manual operation mode in which the air cleaning operation is performed by detecting a manual operation instruction without relying on the automatic operation mode, and the air volume is set to be lower than the upper limit of the air volume change range in the automatic operation mode. The air conditioner is configured to perform air purifying operation by determining the output of the gas sensor, and
An ultraviolet sensor is installed to detect ultraviolet rays generated in the room where it is installed, and from the time the ultraviolet sensor detects ultraviolet rays,
The air purifier according to claim 4, characterized in that the air purifier is configured to measure the time until an increase in gas concentration is detected from the output of the gas sensor, and the longer the measurement time, the longer the air cleaning operation is performed or the air purification operation is performed with a larger air volume. The conditioner is configured to perform air purifying operation by determining the output of the gas sensor, and is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor to detect the size of the room in which it is installed.
The gas sensor is characterized in that the larger the detected size, the higher the sensitivity of the gas sensor.

Effect: According to this configuration, the reference value used to determine the output of the gas sensor is written in the nonvolatile memory element.
There is no need to instruct the writing of reference values every time the power is turned on. Furthermore, if the output value of the gas sensor is written when the device is operated under clean conditions at the time of shipment from the factory, automatic operation can be determined accurately.

According to the configuration of claim 2, even if the air volume reaches its maximum state in the automatic operation mode, it is smaller than the air volume in the manual operation mode, and it is possible to reduce noise that occurs unexpectedly.

According to the configuration of claim 3, the larger the room, the longer the automatic operation time and the larger the air volume are automatically set by utilizing the difference between the speed at which ultraviolet rays are transmitted and the speed at which gas concentration diffuses.

The sensitivity of the gas sensor is automatically set by detecting the size of the room, allowing reliable automatic operation even in large rooms.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 6. There are an intake port 2 and an exhaust port 3 on the front of the air purifier body 1.
The air sucked in by the built-in motor 4 is purified by a filter 5 and then discharged. Similarly, on the front of the main body 1, there are a gas sensor 6, an ultraviolet sensor 7,
Three types of sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor 8, an infrared remote control receiving section 9, a sensor sensitivity display section 10, an air volume display section 11,
Three types of display parts are provided, including the filter replacement sign display part 12. Reference numeral 13 is an infrared remote control transmitter, and reference numeral 14 is a power plug of the main body 1 for performing operations such as air volume setting, automatic/manual switching, gas sensor sensitivity switching, and stopping. The control circuit is configured as shown in Figure 2, and each sensor 6.7
．． 8 and the signals from the infrared receiving section 9 are sent to the central processing element 1.
5, and some of the signals are stored in a non-volatile storage element (hereinafter referred to as MNOS) 16.

The MNOS 16 retains its stored contents even if the power plug 14 is removed or there is no backup such as a battery. 17 is a switch that cannot be touched from the outside of the main body 1. During the manufacturing process, when the gas sensor 6 is driven in clean air and the switch 17 is pressed when the output becomes stable, the output at that point will be changed to MNOS 3. 6 is recorded as the reference value SO. Figure 3 shows automatic
This is the range of operating air volume that can be operated or set in manual operation. During manual operation, five stages can be selected and set including the maximum air volume of 115 II, but during automatic operation, the maximum air volume is LL 5 I.
The four stages except I are operated selectively depending on the degree of dirt detected.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the operation during automatic operation, in which the ultraviolet sensor 7 detects the flame of a lighter or the like that ignites a cigarette or the like, and the operation is performed for a certain period of time. The gas sensor 6 quantitatively detects the concentration of gas contained in smoke such as cigarette smoke, and operates at higher capacity as the gas concentration is higher. Here, the O when the flame is detected by the ultraviolet sensor 7
If the input time difference between the N signal ■ and the ON signal ■ when the gas sensor 6 detects an increase in gas concentration (see Figure 4(c)) is Δt, then the main body 1 as shown in Figure 4(a) There is a difference in the time it takes for the smoke to diffuse and reach the gas sensor 6 after ignition, depending on whether you smoke far away or close to it as shown in Figure 4(b). The smaller the value, the closer the smoker is, and the larger the value, the farther away the smoker is. If Δt is large, such as Δt, Δt2
It operates for a longer time or with a larger air volume than when it is small. At this time, a long time and a large air volume may be used.

FIG. 5 shows the contents of the MNOS 16, where Fc is the temporal accumulation of a coefficient obtained by multiplying the time during which the motor 4 is driven and the filter 5 is used by the degree of contamination detected by the gas sensor 6. The amount of dirt equivalent to the total amount of dirt that has passed through the filter 5 is stored, and as Fc increases, the number of lights on the filter replacement sign display section 12 is increased, and the level of Fc at which the filter 5 needs to be replaced is set as Fc.
When Fc exceeds FcMAX, the filter replacement sign display section 12 is made to blink. SO is the sensor output value in clean air at the time the gas sensor 6 is shipped. The air volume is changed each time the air volume setting is changed via the infrared remote control receiver 9 during manual operation.
Something to rewrite and store. The same goes for the sensor sensitivity, which is rewritten and stored each time the user switches the sensor sensitivity.

FIG. 6 shows the function of the ultrasonic sensor 8. The two ultrasonic sensors 8, each installed facing left and right front, emit ultrasonic waves and measure the time 11.12 it takes for the ultrasonic waves to return.The longer the total t3 (t, +t2), the more the gas sensor 6
The sensitivity is automatically adjusted so that the sensitivity becomes high, and it functions only when the sensitivity adjustment is set to automatic, and the sensitivity at this time is not written to the above-mentioned MNO81.6.

To explain the operation in the above configuration, there are two types: automatic operation based on sensor signals that detect the gas concentration and flame generation from the gas sensor 6 and ultraviolet sensor 7, and manual operation operated by the air volume setting switch of the infrared transmitter 13. The sensor sensitivity of the gas sensor 6, which has an operation mode and is adjusted according to the size of the room used during automatic operation, is automatically set by the ultrasonic sensor 8 and infrared transmitter 13.
It can be set in two ways by switching. Here, the operating air volume during automatic operation is set not to be the maximum air volume during manual operation so that noise is less likely to become a problem when sleeping. Further, when smoking is done far away, the operation level is adjusted according to the detection time difference between the ultraviolet sensor and the gas sensor 6 so that the suction is stronger than when smoking is done nearby. The extent to which the filter 5 is worn out is displayed step by step on the filter replacement sign display section 11. Even if a power outage occurs during use, if the power plug 14 is unplugged, or if the switch goes from stop to operation, the MNO816 retains the manual operation air volume, sensor sensitivity, filter usage time, etc., so it can be used again. No need to reconfigure. Air purity = 11 - Each purifier is operated in a clean atmosphere at the time of shipment, and the output of the gas sensor 6 at that time is stored in the MNOS 16, so it is possible to detect the difference from the clean air in each home. , capable of highly accurate automated driving.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the structure of claim 1, since the reference value used for determining the output of the gas sensor is a non-volatile memory element, each air cleaner can be operated in a clean environment at the time of shipment from the factory. By writing the output of the gas sensor at that time as a reference value, it is possible to eliminate the need for traditional instructions to write the reference value when using it in each home, and it is also possible to improve air purification operation in automatic operation mode. The appropriate time to start can be determined.

According to the configuration described in claim 2, since the air volume in the automatic operation mode does not increase to the maximum air volume during manual operation, it is possible to prevent the generation of unintended noise.

Claim 3. According to the configuration according to claim 4, purple-13-
'.

Using external radiation sensors and ultrasonic sensors, the automatic operation time, air volume, and gas sensor sensitivity are automatically adjusted according to the size of the room in which it is used, so that appropriate cleaning operation can be expected regardless of the size of the room. It is something that can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of the air purifier of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the device, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of air volume levels that can be set in the device, and Fig. 4 is an explanation of sensor operation. Figure, 5th
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the memory contents of the nonvolatile memory element, Figure 6 is an indoor plan view explaining the operation of the ultrasonic sensor, Figure 7 is an external perspective view of a conventional air purifier, and Figure 8 is the same circuit. The block diagram and FIG. 9 are the same flowchart diagrams. 6... Gas sensor, 7... Ultraviolet sensor, 8...
Ultrasonic sensor, 15... Central processing element, 16... Non-volatile memory element. Agent Yoshihiro Morimoto. -14- Figure 3 9th shift t-p' Automatic mode Figure 4 Figure S

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. It compares the occasional output of the gas sensor that detects the degree of air pollution with the content pre-written in the memory, and determines when to start air purification operation.
An air purifier in which the storage section is composed of a nonvolatile storage element. 2. There is an automatic operation mode in which the air purification operation is performed by determining the output of the gas sensor, and a manual operation mode in which the air purification operation is performed by detecting manual operation instructions without depending on the output of the gas sensor, and the air volume can be changed in the automatic operation mode. An air purifier whose air volume is set to a lower air volume than the air volume change range in manual operation mode. 3. In addition to determining the output of the gas sensor to perform air purification operation, an ultraviolet sensor is installed to detect ultraviolet rays generated in the room where the sensor is installed, and from the time the ultraviolet sensor detects ultraviolet rays, the gas concentration increases from the output of the gas sensor. This air purifier is configured to measure the time until it detects the air, and the longer the measured time, the longer the time or the air purifying operation with a larger air volume. 4. In addition to determining the output of the gas sensor and performing air purification operation, an ultrasonic sensor was installed to detect the size of the room in which it was installed, and the larger the detected size, the higher the sensitivity of the gas sensor. Air cleaner.