JPH0728502Y2 - Steam humidifier for air conditioners - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a steam humidifier used in an air conditioner used in a building or the like, particularly a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and only prevents water leakage. Moreover, it is characterized by being safe and reliable without fear of fire and being able to freely increase the relative humidity to a desired humidity and perform hygienic humidification.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, most air conditioners that have been widely used in buildings and the like have been for floor installation, and these have been used by incorporating a humidifier inside.

The floor-installed air conditioner does not have a steam humidifier or heat source that uses a sheathed heater that has a nichrome wire inside, is solidified around it with an insulator, and is covered with copper or stainless steel on the outside. Using an ultrasonic humidifier and a hydrophilic plastic or non-woven fabric with good water absorption, immerse one side in a water tank containing water, and use the capillary phenomenon to contain water in the evaporation material,
A natural evaporation type humidifier was used that evaporates water by applying dry air between the materials.

However, recently, effective use of spaces such as rooms accompanying the skyrocketing of land centering on urban areas has been achieved, and at the same time, from the viewpoint of energy saving, an individual air conditioning method of air-conditioning only the space to be used is becoming mainstream, For this reason, air conditioners are becoming mainstream from floor-mounted to ceiling-embedded.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

Both of the above methods are satisfactory in terms of cooling and heating, but in terms of humidification, in the case of the ceiling-embedded method, due to the characteristic that the place of installation is inside the ceiling,
In other words, in a limited space, moreover, beams and building materials are complicatedly arranged inside the ceiling, and there are problems in the equipment installation space and design, and the drain pipe of the humidifier can be smoothly inclined. It is very difficult to install because it cannot be done.

Therefore, even if a humidifier is provided, if a failure occurs due to some reason, it is not possible to take immediate action because it is a non-visible place, for example, the water supply control solenoid valve of the humidifier remains open, When a large amount of water flows out over a long period of time, the drain drainage pump of the air conditioner also has a limited performance, which causes overflow and the inside of the ceiling will be flooded and fall onto the floor. However, the damage was enormous.

Also, if a steam humidifier that uses the sheathed heater as a heat source is installed, the surface temperature of the sheathed heater will continue to rise if water is cut off and safety devices such as temperature fuses and thermostats malfunction and stop operating. If flammable material around the humidifier ignites, or if scale adheres to the surface of the heater due to long-term humidification, heat exchange will not be performed, the nichrome wire will melt or the heater itself will There is a risk of flame generation due to melting, etc., and there was a problem with installation inside the ceiling.

Furthermore, when an ultrasonic humidifier is installed, fine particles of water are sprayed from the air conditioner, so the latent heat is lost when the water evaporates, and the room temperature is lowered, and sometimes it becomes an unheated mist. There was a flaw that was blown out.

Moreover, mineral substances contained in water deposit with steam and become white powder and adhere to indoor wall surfaces and fixtures, for example, when they adhere to office equipment such as office equipment, they may cause display flicker. If it adheres to the inside of the equipment, it may cause malfunction or failure.In order to eliminate it, it is necessary to frequently replace and regenerate the deionizer and ion exchange resin, which inevitably requires initial cost and running cost. There was a drawback that it became very expensive.

Also, when a natural evaporation type humidifier is provided, the amount of evaporation depends on the surface area of the material, the air volume, and the degree of drying of the sucked air, so the desired amount of humidification will not be achieved unless the device is configured large. Moreover, since the material is constantly blown, dust and bacteria in the air are liable to adhere, which is unsanitary, and sometimes has a drawback that an offensive odor is generated.

In any of the above cases, the relative humidity in the room increases due to humidification, and the partial pressure of water vapor also increases at the same time, so it becomes difficult to evaporate gradually. Was above 60%), and it became unsuitable when more humidity was desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and even if it is installed inside a ceiling that cannot be seen, water leakage can be prevented immediately.
Since there is no melting or melting of the heater, there is no risk of flames, it is safe and reliable, and the desired relative humidity can be easily controlled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a steam humidifier for an air conditioner that can be used.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a humidifier water tank with
A resistance value becomes large as a constant temperature as a heating element, an underwater heater made of a ceramic semiconductor heating element that does not pass an electric current is provided, and a water level control sensor and an overflow detection sensor as a water supply control device are provided in the humidifier water tank section. Further, the water supply control solenoid valve and the water supply shutoff solenoid valve controlled by these sensors are provided in the water supply pipe.

[Action]

When a signal for humidifying operation is input from the power cord (19), the contact of the water level control sensor (7) is turned on, so the water supply control solenoid valve (4) in the solenoid valve storage box (2) opens and the primary side Water is supplied from the water supply pipe (1) through the secondary water supply pipe (5) to the humidifier water tank part (16) whose upper surface opening is covered with the upper lid (13) stopped by the stoppers (6). .

Then, when the water supply reaches a predetermined water level in the humidifier water tank section (16), the contact point of the dry-fire prevention sensor (11) is turned on,
The submersible heater (15) is energized to start humidification.

Further, when the water supply is continued and reaches a predetermined water level, the contact of the water level control sensor (7) is turned off, the water supply control solenoid valve (4) is closed, and the water supply is stopped.

After that, if the water level in the humidifier water tank (16) decreases due to the humidifying operation, the contact of the water level control sensor (7) is turned on again, the water supply control solenoid valve (4) is opened and water is supplied, and the water is cut off at the predetermined water level. . This operation is repeated during the humidifying operation to automatically keep the water level.

Further, the steam generated in the humidifier water tank section (16) passes through a humidification pipe (10) provided outside the upper lid (13) of the humidifier water tank section (16) and is air-conditioned from the humidification nozzle (23). It is discharged by a fan (not shown) of the machine (a) to each room or the like which is a place for humidification.

It should be noted that the water supply shutoff solenoid valve (3) in the solenoid valve storage box (2)
Remains open during the humidification operation, but the water supply control solenoid valve (4) fails or the water level control sensor (7) fails for some reason and the contact turns on, When the water level in the container water tank (16) rises and the overflow detection sensor (9) provided inside the upper lid (13) is turned on, the electricity is closed. At the same time, the humidifying operation is stopped, and a signal to notify the occurrence of an abnormality is sent to the outside.

Further, when the water in the humidifier water tank (16) is reduced for some reason, the dry-burn prevention sensor (11) is activated to stop the operation. If the underwater heater (15) is still energized even if the air heating prevention sensor (11) fails, the thermostat (14) for preventing overheating may be turned off and operation may be stopped. is there.

Further, when the thermostat (14) for preventing the excessive temperature rise also fails, the energization of the submersible heater (15) is not stopped and the submersible heater (15) is in an empty state. However, as described above, using the underwater heater (15) with the ceramic semiconductor heating element having the self-temperature control function incorporated inside, at the boiling point of water or higher,
It is extremely safe because it does not cause a fire because it is used with a Kyrie point that is below the point at which flammable materials such as wood, paper, and resin located around it do not ignite.

Further, a signal indicating the abnormality to the outside is displayed by the fault point display LED lamp (22) provided on the control panel (20) so that the location where the fault has occurred can be read at a glance. By doing so, maintenance and inspection can be performed quickly and accurately.

In addition, the water leak from the humidifier water tank part (16)
The water leak detection sensor (12) in (7) allows the humidification nozzle (2
Water leakage from 3) is detected by a water leakage detection sensor (12) in the drain pan (24) and the water shutoff solenoid valve (3) is closed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the solenoid valve storage box (2), the humidifier water tank section (16), the control panel (20), and the air conditioner (a) are separated, but this is easy to install. This is because it is possible to integrally configure these.
For example, as shown in the figure, the humidifier water tank part (16) may be installed near the air conditioner (a) and only the humidifying nozzle (23) may be inserted into the air conditioner (a). ) May be attached to the side plate.

The humidifier is configured to be operated only when the fan (not shown) of the air conditioner (a) is rotating so that the generated steam is normally diffused into the room.
In addition, a switching switch is provided to allow not only the operation during winter heating but also humidification at any time, and an automatic humidity controller is provided to enable ON / OFF control and time division control freely.

First, the solenoid valve storage box (2) will be described. Inside the humidifier water tank section (16), a water supply shutoff solenoid valve (3) and a water level which are closed when an overflow detection sensor (9) in the tank section (16) is turned on. A water supply control solenoid valve (4) for supplying water when the control sensor (7) is turned on is provided, and the primary side water supply pipe (1) and the secondary side water supply pipe (5) are further connected.

Next, the humidifier water tank section (16) will be described. In the present invention, an underwater heater (15) having a heating element (PTC) made of a ceramic semiconductor is used.

The submersible heater (15) has a characteristic that its resistance value changes in accordance with a change in temperature, and has a self-current control action that the resistance value becomes large at a constant temperature and the current does not pass, and the constant temperature always It has a self-temperature control function that keeps the temperature constant (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-200672, Shokai Sho
62-144090 gazette).

Therefore, unlike conventional Nichrome wire heaters, there is no need for a temperature controller such as a thermostat, and there is no concern about abnormal temperature rise, fusing, melting, etc., and it is compact and lightweight and structurally simple. It has the advantage of.

Furthermore, inside the humidifier water tank section (16), there are provided a water level control sensor (7), a boil-prevention sensor (11), a manually resetting type overtemperature protection thermostat (14) and an overflow detection sensor (9). To be

The water level control sensor (7) keeps the water level inside the humidifier water tank (16) constant, and controls the opening and closing of the water supply control solenoid valve (4) in the solenoid valve storage box (2).

In addition, the water boil prevention sensor (11) turns on when the water level reaches, energizes the underwater heater (15), and shuts off energization to the underwater heater (15) when the water level falls below that position for some reason. Is.

The thermostat (14) for preventing overheating is a safety device that turns off if the underwater heater (15) continues to overheat for some reason, and maintenance is required if it is a type that does not recover unless the manual reset button is pressed. Unless the reset button is pressed after the inspection, it is safe because it will not generate heat again.

The overflow detection sensor (9) is surrounded by a cover (8) to prevent splashing of boiling water, an air vent (9b) is provided in the upper part, and a pipe (9a) submerged in the water is provided in the lower part. The configuration is provided.

Therefore, the scale does not adhere and it operates smoothly.

A drain pan (17), which is a tray in case of water leakage, is provided below the humidifier water tank (16).

Inside the drain pan (17), a water leak detection sensor (12) surrounded by a material having a good hygroscopic property, for example, a sponge-like material is provided, and if there is water leak from the humidifier water tank part (16), It is configured to detect this and close the water supply shutoff solenoid valve (3).

The control panel (20) is connected to the electromagnetic valve storage box (2) and the electric wiring cord (18) from the humidifier water tank section (16), and is provided with a failure point display LED lamp (22).

In the figure, (19) is the power cord, (21) is the above fault location display LE
This is an output unit that connects when one of the D lamps (22) lights up and displays a failure externally. (25) is a humidity sensor.

In the air conditioner (a) part, the humidification pipe (1
0) are connected, and a humidifying nozzle (23) is formed at the tip thereof.

Furthermore, a drain pan (24) and a water leak detection sensor (12) are provided inside the interior, if necessary.

It should be noted that, instead of the water level control sensor (7), the boil-prevention sensor (11), the overflow detection sensor (9), etc., other means such as a floatless using an electrode rod, a level switch, etc. may be used. Moreover, when the makeup water is treated, settling and adhesion of the scale can be suppressed, and the number of times of maintenance can be reduced, which further enhances the reliability of the equipment.

Therefore, the steam humidifier of the present invention is not limited to the ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and can be widely used as a steam humidifier for an air conditioner with high safety and reliability.

[Effect of device]

As described above, the present invention is extremely safe and reliable because there is no risk of fire because the heater does not melt or melt, and the desired relative humidity can be easily controlled, and no offensive odor is generated. Without hygiene, it is possible to perform humidification.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings are schematic diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention. (3) ... water supply cutoff solenoid valve, (4) ... water supply control solenoid valve, (7) ... water level control sensor, (9) ... overflow detection sensor, (11) ... empty water prevention sensor,
(12) …… Leakage detection sensor, (14) …… Thermostat thermostat, (15) …… Underwater heater, (16) ……
… Humidifier water tank part, (22) …… LED lamp for fault location display,
(23) ... humidification nozzle, (a) ... air conditioner.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A submersible heater made of a ceramic semiconductor heating element, which has a large resistance value at a constant temperature as a heating element and does not pass an electric current, is provided in a humidifier water tank section, and a water level control sensor and an overflow detection are provided as a water supply control device. A steam humidifier for an air conditioner, wherein a sensor is provided in the water tank of the humidifier, and a water supply control solenoid valve and a water shutoff solenoid valve controlled by the sensors are provided in the water supply pipe.